The Love I Had at First

[Wynona]

When I first met Christ, all I aspired to was serving Him as a missionary of humble means.

I was a middle class spoiled teenager so my parents laughed and told me to go to college.
I never got the bachelor's. I married my husband instead and came to realize my faith was lacking.
I wish I had refused to go to college. There were a lot of bad influences for me there.

To be honest, I wonder if I can still have that fire for Christ I had at the beginning. Even if I have to seek it out for the rest of my life, I want to.

As a married woman with kids, how can I still treasure Christ above all?

 

[Aunty Jane]

When I first met Christ, all I aspired to was serving Him as a missionary of humble means.

I was a middle class spoiled teenager so my parents laughed and told me to go to college.
I never got the bachelor's. I married my husband instead and came to realize my faith was lacking.
I wish I had refused to go to college. There were a lot of bad influences for me there.

This is a very important topic because when you fall in love, ‘head over heels’, for the first time....the memory stays with you, and you romanticise it in your mind for years to come......so the thread topic reminds me of that.

I can’t find a single Scripture that encourages secular success as a goal....just the opposite in fact, and you are so right, bad influences are everywhere on collage campuses. Not really a morally place fit for Christians.

Paul said that as long as we had ‘food and clothing, we should be content with these things’. (1 Tim 6:6-8)
Whatever material things we have or lack, be content with what you have because , as Jesus said....

“Keep your eyes open and guard against every sort of greed, because even when a person has an abundance, his life does not result from the things he possesses.”......good advice in a sickeningly materialistic world.

To be honest, I wonder if I can still have that fire for Christ I had at the beginning. Even if I have to seek it out for the rest of my life, I want to.

That is half the battle....wanting to.....

As Paul told the Greek philosophers in Athens.....
“The God who made the world and all the things in it, being, as he is, Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade temples; 25  nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things. 26  And he made out of one man every nation of men to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of where men would dwell, 27  so that they would seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us. 28  For by him we have life and move and exist, even as some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his children.’” (Acts 17:24-28)

That appeal is still as valid today as it was back then....God is “not far off from any of us”....we just have to seek him in the right place.

As a married woman with kids, how can I still treasure Christ above all?

There is an order of priority in all our lives.....and that is to “love God with all that we are” and to “love our neighbor as ourselves”.....Our family members come somewhere in between those two....more obligated to them than to our neighbors....husbands and wives......parents and children.....God honoured relationships.

As Jesus said...Matt 6:19-21....

“Stop storing up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. 20  Rather, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

[Debp]

When I first met Christ, all I aspired to was serving Him as a missionary of humble means.

I was a middle class spoiled teenager so my parents laughed and told me to go to college.
I never got the bachelor's. I married my husband instead and came to realize my faith was lacking.
I wish I had refused to go to college. There were a lot of bad influences for me there.

To be honest, I wonder if I can still have that fire for Christ I had at the beginning. Even if I have to seek it out for the rest of my life, I want to.

As a married woman with kids, how can I still treasure Christ above all?

Always remember faith doesn't go by or depend on feelings. There will always be ups and downs in life. So just realize that you still love the Lord above everyone and everything. He is always with you.

 

[soberxp]

As a married woman with kids, how can I still treasure Christ above all?

18:5
And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

 

[Lambano]

As a married woman with kids, how can I still treasure Christ above all?

I'm interested to see how this plays out.

 

[Lambano]

At 14, when I first converted, I only wanted to serve Christ in a humble setting--

Changing a dirty diaper (say, one of the really messy ones) is about as humble as you can get. It looks like you got what you wanted. It just doesn't look like what you thought it would look like.

As a married woman with kids, how can I still treasure Christ above all?

This is where God has planted you (for now). So, bring the love of God to your children, your husband, your parents, your North Carolina neighbors (God knows, we need it) right here, right now. This is one way to show Jesus that you love Him. (Inasmuch as you have done this for the least of these, you have done it to Me. - Matthew 25:40)

 

[amigo de christo]

When I first met Christ, all I aspired to was serving Him as a missionary of humble means.

I was a middle class spoiled teenager so my parents laughed and told me to go to college.
I never got the bachelor's. I married my husband instead and came to realize my faith was lacking.
I wish I had refused to go to college. There were a lot of bad influences for me there.

To be honest, I wonder if I can still have that fire for Christ I had at the beginning. Even if I have to seek it out for the rest of my life, I want to.

As a married woman with kids, how can I still treasure Christ above all?

What did paul tell the church
and what was the same thing even peter did .
Stir yourself and others up by pure way of remembrance .
HOW did they do that .
BY always reminding the church , by letters and by speaking to them , OF THE TRUTH
of the teachings of Christ and all sound doctrine .
EVEN peter tells them , when writing his letter to them
I STIR UP your pure minds BY WAY of remembrance . And that HE would make a way
for them to always have these THINGS IN REMEMBRANCE .
THEY did . We have thier letters , heck we even have the bible as a whole .
ITS HIS WORDS that do remind us . WE need to be stirring one another up WITH Truth .
Not with what men might say is truth , BUT WITH THE TRUTH . I KNOW the bible is loaded with TRUTH .
In fact if people would return to daily reading they would have seen and learned and been refreshed in TRUTH .
Not been led astray by what might seem or feel as truth .
ALSO we or if we let things slip , that FIRE can and will dim . We need to exercise ourselves UNTO godliness
and not unto wordliness and emotional sensual things of men and feelings .
You would be amazed at how simple it is .
But many often just talk about ways around things GOD said , the prophets said , CHRIST said , or the apostels said .
JUST EMBRACE IT . BELEIVE IT . Be stirred up in it and with those reminders and in prayers
and stirring one another up with THE TRUTH .

 

[Lambano]

To be honest, I wonder if I can still have that fire for Christ I had at the beginning. Even if I have to seek it out for the rest of my life, I want to.

Not feeling it? Wish you could feel the fire again? I hear you. I remember the fire. I got maybe a two-week "honeymoon" period, and then it was back to usual grind. Trying to recapture the fire ... I don't know how to do that. God knows, I've tried. But there's something to be said about being faithful and performing humble deeds of love, even when you're not feeling it.

This is one of the reasons I want to see how this thread plays out.

 

[Wynona]

Changing a dirty diaper (say, one of the really messy ones) is about as humble as you can get. It looks like you got what you wanted. It just doesn't look like what you thought it would look like.



This is where God has planted you (for now). So, bring the love of God to your children, your husband, your parents, your North Carolina neighbors (God knows, we need it) right here, right now. This is one way to show Jesus that you love Him. (Inasmuch as you have done this for the least of these, you have done it to Me. - Matthew 25:40)

This is a great answer.

 

[Wynona]

Always remember faith doesn't go by or depend on feelings. There will always be ups and downs in life. So just realize that you still love the Lord above everyone and everything. He is always with you.

True

 

[Wynona]

I'm interested to see how this plays out.

My husband said something like this:

"You never get back the feeling you have at first, much like a marriage where the passion dies down over time. But you gain trust in God and stability. God is still at work in the path you ended up taking."

I might have been confusing excitement for love. When put that way, I believe I love Jesus more than in the past. I may have ended up going a different way but there's still opportunity every day to serve Him every day.

I do believe the vocation of homemaking is Kingdom work. It just takes awhile to see fruit from it.

 

[BlueNightingale]

When I first met Christ, all I aspired to was serving Him as a missionary of humble means.

I was a middle class spoiled teenager so my parents laughed and told me to go to college.
I never got the bachelor's. I married my husband instead and came to realize my faith was lacking.
I wish I had refused to go to college. There were a lot of bad influences for me there.

To be honest, I wonder if I can still have that fire for Christ I had at the beginning. Even if I have to seek it out for the rest of my life, I want to.

As a married woman with kids, how can I still treasure Christ above all?

You might just need time alone.

Sometimes when the kids are in bed and I'm feeling stressed with something, I go down to the living room and just sit in quiet and pray. It can come back.

If you haven't read it, I really recommend Confessions of a Prayer Slacker by Dianne Moody. It's free. I'm NOT saying you're a slacker. It's about communion time with God in a busy life. You can also read it in your browser or on your phone.

 

[ProDeo]

Not feeling it? Wish you could feel the fire again? I hear you. I remember the fire. I got maybe a two-week "honeymoon" period, and then it was back to usual grind. Trying to recapture the fire ... I don't know how to do that. God knows, I've tried. But there's something to be said about being faithful and performing humble deeds of love, even when you're not feeling it.

This is one of the reasons I want to see how this thread plays out.

I hear you as well. The fire. A dry and recovery period trying to get back the fire.

Matt 4:4 But he [Jesus] answered [the devil], “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

In a different context - Man shall not live by feelings alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 

[Pearl]

When I first came to Jesus I couldn't get enough of Him. I was so hungry for more teaching more closeness ans just wanted to talk about him all the time. After a while I began to pray for a 'ministry' but here I am 47 years later just knowing that my ministry was not 'front of house' but mostly in my home caring for the family God had given me.

 

[Angelina]

Same with me, @Pearl. I was on fire for God then and still am now but I read the bible more and I spend more time in prayer and worship. It was a full circle for me too.

 

[Wynona]

Aww you guys are great!!
I figured if I got crazy answers, I'd never ask a question on here again. But these answers are amazing.

 

[amigo de christo]

Aww you guys are great!!
I figured if I got crazy answers, I'd never ask a question on here again. But these answers are amazing.

that is the main minstiry of women , to take care of the children , to raise them up in the way they should GO .
its the men who lead the church .
I feel such sorrow for these poor confused women who have heeded the wrong pastors
and got so confused and then wonder why they cannot find peace .
And yet there is PEACE in what is right in the sight of the LORD .
you lovely ladies have yalls minstiry , to take care of the children , raise them up in the way they should go
and of course a few other things too that are co helpers to the truth .
But i have watched women get so confused over time , always wonder WHAT they should be doing
always feeling so inadequate , but have forgotten or never knew
The major part of womens minstiry was TO RAISE UP the children , to teach the children and young women
TO LOVE their husbands , to etc . Most women miss that , they too busy trying to play the part of a man
and they are missing out and worse are being decieved .

 

[Wynona]

that is the main minstiry of women , to take care of the children , to raise them up in the way they should GO .
its the men who lead the church .
I feel such sorrow for these poor confused women who have heeded the wrong pastors
and got so confused and then wonder why they cannot find peace .
And yet there is PEACE in what is right in the sight of the LORD .
you lovely ladies have yalls minstiry , to take care of the children , raise them up in the way they should go
and of course a few other things too that are co helpers to the truth .
But i have watched women get so confused over time , always wonder WHAT they should be doing
always feeling so inadequate , but have forgotten or never knew
The major part of womens minstiry was TO RAISE UP the children , to teach the children and young women
TO LOVE their husbands , to etc . Most women miss that , they too busy trying to play the part of a man
and they are missing out and worse are being decieved .

Yes. To love our husbands and children is a very important ministry.

 

[Wynona]

You might just need time alone.

Sometimes when the kids are in bed and I'm feeling stressed with something, I go down to the living room and just sit in quiet and pray. It can come back.

If you haven't read it, I really recommend Confessions of a Prayer Slacker by Dianne Moody. It's free. I'm NOT saying you're a slacker. It's about communion time with God in a busy life. You can also read it in your browser or on your phone.

Ive been loving alone time with the Lord lately but its all too rare!

 

[Rockerduck]

I wish I was there to pump you up. That's what I do in church. I'm on fire for the Lord and I have what I call a Jesus button. Anybody starts talking about Jesus to me pushes my button, then I start preaching. Remember that first felt forgiveness and Love from Jesus, think of that promise of eternal life, start Praising Jesus. Set you sights on things unseen, because the things which are seen are temporary. Lift your hands up and shout wherever you are and say THANK YOU JESUS, you set me free, rejoice in the Lord. Halleluiah.