Experiencing God Daily
Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God (Psalm 78:5-8).
Dear Friends,
Katie Orr, a prolific writer, speaker, and woman passionate about equipping everyday women to experience God daily joins us this week as our Guest Writer for Daily Treasure. I first “met” Katie through her article, “Why I (The Pastor’s Wife) Have Trust Issues.” She caught me! I wanted to hear more from this writer who expressed so well the struggles of marriage to a pastor. I loved being a pastor’s wife most of the time. Chuck retired a few years ago after pastoring the same church for thirty years, and the memories of working shoulder to shoulder with women teaching Bible studies, singing in the choir, greeting people every Sunday, holding too many to count parties, dinners, celebrations, pool parties, barbeques, and softball gatherings satisfied my need to make our home a safe place for hurting people. But all of this came with a price, and Katie speaks truth about the sometimes dark side of ministry. She doesn’t flinch from speaking the truth about the heart of a pastor’s wife in an attempt to help church families resist placing impossible expectations on her.
Katie’s passion for coming alongside of women with the Gospel also resonates with my own passions. Through her writing and teaching, she encourages us to think about the next generation, embrace the disciplines of grace, and get outside of ourselves, so we can see God’s eternal plan for salvation.
Katie urges us to “grow up” in Jesus, but not without coming alongside of us to help us find our way through knowing Jesus.
Katie gave me permission to share six of her blog posts, and it was hard to choose only six. We start with “What Do Our Actions Say to the Next Generation About Our Faith?” This is a recurring question in my own heart, especially in the context of our culture. Yesterday was Father’s Day in the middle of the Covid19 pandemic. I cannot remember a year when our whole family did not enjoyed this day together. As with so many others, joy flows into my heart when all of our children and grandchildren are under one roof. Laughter fills the house as our Lebanese men share stories that get bigger every year. I prepared myself for a lonely day since Chuck, and I are part of the population at most risk. Instead, the Lord gave us the treasure of spending several hours on the porch with several members of our son’s family. Our conversation covered lots of territory. We soon started discussing the chaos and upheaval in our culture. We asked our twenty-year-old granddaughter numerous questions about her activism in protesting the racial inequalities. We shared our own activist experiences and expressed our pride in her unwillingness to stay on the sidelines of this crisis.
When I am challenged to think about what my actions are saying to our grandchildren, my knee-jerk reactions must take a back seat. I must remember I have two ears and one mouth – it’s time for me to listen more carefully than ever. These conversations can easily drown in defensiveness and arguments that lead nowhere. Our generation must die as we invite our children and grandchildren to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”
In tomorrow’s devotional, Katie reminds us:
“Unfortunately, our actions are often contrary to what we hope to project. ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ just doesn’t cut it when it comes to our spiritual life. Droves of young adults are leaving the church because they see our inconsistencies. Generations of children who grew up in church have abandoned the faith of their fathers because it never became their own.”
Our daughter-in-law, Melanie, said something similar in yesterday’s conversation, “This generation is a book of James generation. They want to see if we are walking our talk.”
Such words challenge me to remember the call of the Lord to pass on to the next generation and the next and the next the beauty of loveliness of our Lord. May you be challenged as well.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Sunday, 30 October 2022.
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