HOUSE OF ROBERTS BLOG

Isn’t it funny how when you endeavor to make changes in life or walk in a fresh direction God is leading you in, immediately enemies pop up in the land? Is funny the right word?

Enemies come in all shapes and sizes and can even sometimes look good. Enemies could be discouragement, past struggles, insecurities, unhealthy relationships, fear of man, hopelessness, lack of purpose, and so many more. Enemies can even look like opportunities that pop up in the wrong seasons. Have you ever heard it said, “The right thing in the wrong season is still wrong”? I find these opportunities love to present themselves right when you have made a resolve in your heart to move in a better direction. You have a conviction to become a better steward of your money and all of a sudden your friend group wants to plan a vacation. You have a conviction to be more present with your family and all of a sudden you get a “promotion” that causes you to travel more. 

I have found in this season where God has been challenging Mike and me to become more intentional with our family there have been ENDLESS opportunities to try and distract us from the work God is calling us to. Whether it’s our schedule trying to get too busy, insecurity trying to take control, a fight trying to bring division, or discouraging thought trying to waste my time…The enemies in the land are ever present and always working overtime to prevent us from accomplishing the work God has called us too. So how do we overcome it?

I love the book of Nehemiah, if you haven’t read it before, I challenge you to. You will find courage, resolve, and determination in it. See Nehemiah caught a burden from the Lord and this burden caused him to leave the comfort of his position in life to go and rebuild the wall in Jerusalem. As beautiful as it was for him to have this holy moment with the Lord—This assignment came with all kinds of discomfort, learning, opportunities to build faith, and enemies in the land. There is a moment in Chapter 6 where enemies of Nehemiah’s work were scheming to meet up with him and harm him. Nehemiah discerned these intentions and replied to them with this in Nehemiah 6:3, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.” Four more times the enemies tried to distract him from the work God called him to and four more times Nehemiah replied this way. Nehemiah had a conviction from the Lord, and this conviction held his focus steady when trials came, when faith was fainting, when provisions seemed tight, and when enemies tried to distract. His burden kept his eyes fixed! 

Understand this Mom, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT WORK IN YOUR HOME, and the enemy of your family’s life KNOWS IT! He will never stop trying to distract you, or get you all up in your emotions, or busied up in life, bring “good” looking opportunities in the wrong season, or exhaust your energy so that you slowly but surely put that work down. That is his goal because he cannot stop you, he can only try to make it so that you will get distracted or quit.

Because we know this, our eyes and hearts have to be CONTINUALLY and INTENTIONALLY focused on the work God is calling us to in our homes: Creating the God pace for them, prioritizing time together, discipling our kids in the Lord, eating dinner together, imparting identity, speaking words of strength and courage in moments of fear, correcting wrong behavior, adventuring and experiencing life together, building healthy sons and daughters for generations to come—THE GREAT WORK.

My prayer for us this week is that we as moms would have a fresh GOD understanding and conviction of the “Great Work” He is calling us to in our homes. That when distractions and enemies come that are contrary to the work HE is calling us to, we would SEE it and that we would have a response like Nehemiah “We are doing a GREAT WORK and can’t come down!” No one else can do for your family what you can Mom! Believe it! See it! Value it and Use it!