TEN COMMANDMENTS AND THE BEATITUDES

Welcome to Monday’s with a Mission

GOD’S CLASSIFIED AD

As I flipped to the classified section of the newspaper during my lunch hour one work day a job ad caught my attention.

I can honestly tell you it was not the actual job that caught my attention. The ad was  from the church I attended. They needed a director for their After School Care Program. I did not think I was looking for another job, but God did.

It was the first time I can actually remember God laying out a plan for me. The plan was so intense I had to get a paper and pen and write it down.

Me, director of any after school care program? That was not on my radar.

MAYBE IT WAS DIVINE INTERVENTION?

But the will of God was upon me and that was that. Maybe like divine intervention?

I contacted the committee that was in charge of hiring process for the director position and requested an interview. The first thing they informed me of was that they had made the decision to not hire a member of the church.

“You will have to talk to God about that.” Was my response.

So they interviewed me, my thought was – I guess they really didn’t have any other choice. 

They asked me questions that most interviewers – what experience do you have?  None,  was my answer.

I worked for corporate America in Florida before moving to North Carolina. I “retired” from that type of work and I looked for something different, which my current job fulfilled.

I raised my children – taught Sunday School a time or two, but that’s it.

They asked of course, then why are you applying for this job – again I had to remind them that it was God. His will was much stronger than mine.

I LEARNED FROM THEM, THEY LEARNED FROM ME

For the next four years I loved on those children and discovered how God leads you in places you would never go yourself. The program grew to capacity. The children were awesome teachers for me. My relationship with Christ bloomed in ways that I never expected. Our church was across the street from an elementary school that gave us as many children as we could handle. I learned from them and they from me.

During one of our devotion study time, when the children arrived we would have snack time and devotion time before homework and play time. The devotion time was so exciting. The children were like sponges and I could not believe how they were so willing to learn.

WHAT DOES “DO NOT STEAL” MEAN?

When the time came to study the Ten Commandments, we spent one day devotion time on each commandment. On the day of “do not steal” I asked them “what does that mean?”

“Oh, miss Bobbie, that means you do not steal a car or someone’s tv.”

“So, what about the pencil off a friends desk who is not in class that day?” I asked.

“That’s different, Miss Bobbie, it’s only a pencil.” What?? I thought.

That one response lead to my first book – DALTON DISCOVERS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS , and my first writing of any kind.

CANCER DIAGNOSIS CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING

My husband was diagnosed with cancer and I made the choice to leave the after school care to be there for him at all times.

The children would call me, ask me when I was returning. They would cry, I would cry.

But, God’s purpose and timing is always perfect. We must follow His leading.

I was happy for the time I had with the children and blessed that I could be completely with my husband. He became my guiding force to write and speak. He is still my biggest supporter. I couldn’t do any of this without him.

MY LIFE CHANGING MISSION

It was truly a life changing mission God put me on. I would never have thought about writing or speaking or sharing God’s Word the way I am honored to do without picking up that newspaper that day.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND BEATITUDES

So, In spending the past couple months talking about the Beatitudes it reminded me of how each of these – The Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the Commandments that Jesus gave us, are all to help us live to glorify God.

As I shared in my blog several weeks ago when we first started talking about the Beatitudes – it’s not that the Beatitudes are meant to replace the Ten Commandments.

Rather, the Beatitudes perfect the Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are guidelines, not mere suggestions though, which focus on the importance of obeying God. The Beatitudes are teachings which focus on the importance of honoring God.

The two focus on the importance of living a righteous life. Living to glorify God.

God showed His love for us by giving us the Ten Commandments and then following them up with the Beatitudes and the commandments from Jesus.

LAWS VERSUS HAPPINESS AND JOY

We must have the law to accomplish the journey it takes us on to grow in Christ’s love for us. And we must love one another to connect it all together.

Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Also in Matthew 5:17

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them”

A CHALLENGE

I would like to challenge you and me each week to a mission. Are you up for it? I hope so.

Our mission for this week is to acknowledge how love, God’s love for us and then how we can pass it on to others, is the way to conquer unforgiveness, unhappiness, anger, frustration and even sadness.

Keep a list either in your head or on paper of the times your mission for this week succeeds in bringing you closer to Jesus.

Take the time to read the Bible, His love letters to us. Make time out of your day to spend time with the one who loves you more than anyone!

Thank You, Lord, for Your Word, Your guidance, Your Laws, Your love. In Jesus Name. Amen