Meditation
2Corinthians
Occasionally that day will come when she does not feel well. Yet instead of focusing on herself, she labors to provide for her family. She homeschools three growing kids without complaining, faithfully manages a household whose routine is weekly interrupted by the unknown flow of people that come with the territory called ministry. Her efficiency is absolutely amazing. Her refusal to complain is inspiring.
The verb pretermit means "To disregard intentionally or allow to pass unnoticed or unmentioned." It is a mental act that characterizes my wife. She does not dwell on what we do not have or trip over the broken pathway of adversity. She will not focus on herself because her eyes are too set on serving those she loves. She is the closest example I know to what it means to be abandoned.
Describe a football game and most men will quickly capture the concept of abandonment—throwing oneself with reckless physical joy at an opponent in order to win. Abandonment for us guys is about letting it all go to celebrate victory. But life is rarely lived on the gridiron. The truer sense of abandonment is the daily sacrifice that so typifies many women who work tirelessly to serve their families. As many gals will attest serving is often a thankless, taken for granted ritual.
Spiritual abandonment means to give up our right to ourselves moment-by-moment in order to follow God (Romans 12:1). It is the essence of pure worship. When God’s children abandon themselves to serve Him heaven celebrates, hell shudders.
The key to letting go in order to obey God is to find out what we are clutching. An honest examination often reveals that what most gets in the way of my serving God is my preoccupation with what I perceive to be my "rights". I want to do, rest, think and feel on my terms. Gradually, as I learn to relinquish myself to His authority I discover how much more awesome it is to entrust myself to a Heavenly Father Who guides, cares and provides perfectly! And God in His wisdom, knew that aside from His word, one of the best ways to help me understand abandonment was to give me a wife!
Inspiration
