Scripture to Memorize
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
Passage to Read
Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Psalm 37:4–6
Guided Prayer
Dear Lord, I delight myself in you. Thank you for giving me the desires of my heart in so many areas of my life. I can truly say I’ve been richly blessed. At the same time I want to find increasing delight in those things that delight you most; I want my heart to be filled with your desires so I live by your priorities. It amazes me how my desires have changed over the years, how things I once thought were vitally important now seem insignificant, and how things that never even crossed my mind, like the needs of oppressed people around the world, have become increasingly important to me. Lord, let me, more and more, allow my heart to be broken by the things that break your heart.
Today I commit my way to you. Both the “big picture” of my lifetime and the most mundane chore on my schedule. It’s all for you. Holy Spirit, empower me to do everything wholeheartedly. I trust you, Lord. I trust that you’ll make my righteousness shine—you’ll make me a light in this dark world. Help me to shine wherever I go and to shine the brightest right here in my own home, in the midst of my ordinary routine, where it’s most difficult.
Thanks for reminding me that I don’t need to serve as my own advocate anymore. I don’t need to demand my rights—my right to have the last say or get my own way. When my cause is just, you’ll make it blindingly obvious. Meanwhile, I entrust myself, my life, and this day to you, with all my heart. I delight in you. May I live my life in such a way that you can delight in me, too. Amen.
Personal
I thought my teenager was going to burst with excitement. She and two friends had spent Friday evening and Saturday working the book table for Tina Marie, a former Hollywood actress who now speaks to teens around the country about personal purity. I had met Tina Marie on a mission trip to Peru; I had met her husband’s brother on a trip to Papua New Guinea even before I met her or her husband!
Tina Marie was in town speaking at a local church, so we offered to let her and her husband stay in our home, volunteered to help at the conference, and were on our way to take the couple out to dinner before their 9 p.m. flight home to begin their training with New Tribes Mission. The real excitement unfolded when my phone rang and it was Hector Torres, a Latin American pastor whom my daughter considers her greatest hero. Hector and his wife also happened to be in town and had just agreed to join all of us for dinner.
My daughter was breathless as she tried to explain to her friends the magnitude of this moment. “It’s almost like having dinner with Billy Graham and your favorite movie star at the same time!” As I looked up at my daughter during the course of the meal, her eyes sparkled and I knew she would remember this night forever.
Why not play host to the servants of the Lord? Read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and you will see believers holding those who serve the Lord in the highest esteem. Previously we talked about hospitality in the sense of sharing meals with fellow Christians—and that’s important—but I want to encourage you to go a step farther, to deliberately seek out opportunities to host Christian servants—those who are in full-time ministry, especially missionaries—in your home. The fact is, almost all missionaries have to travel around the country to raise awareness and funds to support their ministry. These people have amazing stories to tell and can make a tremendous impact on the lives of your children.
By creating opportunities to serve those who serve the Lord, you are not only blessing the Lord, you are opening the door for him to bless your family. My children have met amazing people who serve God all over the world. As a result, they are genuine world Christians who have the big picture in view. My daughter Tara went on her first mission trip at age ten. Together, we went to Mexico for an outreach to kids that included games, food, music, and a gospel presentation. Tara practiced her Spanish for weeks, learning songs and basic greetings. As mentioned previously, Leah and I have been on two mission trips—to Panama and Peru—and she went to Egypt with Teen Missions for her first solo trip.
I do not believe my children would have such a heart for the world if I hadn’t deliberately created opportunities for them to meet missionaries up close and personal. Why not talk to the missions coordinator at your church or denominational headquarters and find out what your family can do to host missionaries? If your church doesn’t have a missions coordinator, volunteer your family to fill the role.
Affirmation: I welcome God’s servants into my home.
Practical
Contact your church or denominational missions coordinator and find out how you can host a missionary.