“And oh, all His banners over me are love.”
Jordan Klassen, Strengthen Me With Raisins
Life rhythms are a practical way to live into our God-given identity. However, our life rhythms (or absence of them) do not determine our value and worth as people and parents.
We love sharing practical ways that help us overcome some of the challenges of life with kids. We enjoy exploring the things that inspire and motivate us, and the ways we are refining the rhythms and routines that serve our family. Rhythms are a tool we can use to live with intention and balance. But as soon as we connect our identity with our performance in any area, we will become fundamentally off kilter. In John Mark Comer’s teaching on identity, he discusses a number of things we often feel pulled towards, to root our identity in – performance, possessions, pleasure, popularity.
Our desire is that you live grounded in the truth that you are already enough, because God created you and you are His!
Rhythms help us flourish, but do not determine our God-given identity
We love rhythms because they have helped us find our footing as parents. Creating routines and placing a high value on consistency has helped us take on the enormous challenge of parenting. Rhythms help us break down our innumerable responsibilities and to-do’s into bite size pieces we can more easily swallow. We can experience less overwhelm and more peace when our life feels organized. We can find lasting solutions for recurring stressors when we find a “why” worth building upon. As we tackle problems and target passions, we can establish calm in our homes where there used to be chaos.
However! Hear us on this, none of this contributes to our value or worth as people and as parents. Rhythms are a practical way we can live into our God created identity, but their implementation or success certainly does not determine it.
We often assign value to things that look like success, accomplishment, and achievement, but God doesn’t. He created you on purpose, thoughtfully, intricately, and lovingly. You are His daughter. You are His son. There is nothing you could do to make Him love you more. There is nothing you could do to make Him love you less. This is a truth that is sometimes easier to teach our kids, or apply to others, than it is to apply to ourselves.
Let’s not polarize ourselves with labels
In recent years, Brianna and I have developed a bit of a distaste of labels. Societally, we have been conditioned to polarize every idea, to think in black and white. If you’re this, then you’re not that. If you’re that, then you’re not this. We often unknowingly apply labels to ourselves and others and leave no room for nuance, and no room for change or growth. We are accustomed to striving and prone to comparison, and all of it is utterly unhelpful.
So let’s not join the current trend to polarize and to label. You are not “the organized person” or “the unorganized person.” You are not “the late one” or “the early one,” and you don’t have “the tidy house” or “the messy house.” Maybe these things reflect how life looks sometimes (really, just not a big deal!), but they really have nothing to do with your God-given identity – They are not who you are. You are God’s child, beloved to the core by your Creator who knows every detail of your life and corner of your heart.
Living into our God-given identity
When you live into this identity, and pour out from this place into your children’s hearts, the shining “successes” of being on time, having an organized pantry, keeping a clean house, and smoothly executing the morning routine start to look pretty dim. Desiring these things is good. We believe God is in the business of bringing order to chaos. And we believe He honours and blesses our efforts. However, His love for us transcends it all. So in light of this, be encouraged to root yourself in the identity that God has given to you ~ image-bearer of God, called and known by name, adopted and co-heir with Christ, child of God, redeemed, beloved.
His banner over me is love
Song of Solomon 2:4 says “His Banner over me is love”. It’s the most fundamental piece in understanding your God-given identity ~ beloved. And it’s the thing our children want and need the most ~ to know that they are beloved. Life rhythms are not required in order to show our kids love. Only you, all of you, the real you, the purposefully designed-by-God you, can do that. Live into this identity, this love, and your kids will feel it, and follow you into their God-given identity, too.
Encouragement
What things do you want to be known for – performance, possessions, pleasure, popularity? What do you think about yourself that keeps you from believing you are beloved by God? To become more aware, let’s catch ourselves “labeling” someone – ourselves or others – today, and change our words to give life rather than give limits.
Much love from,
Brianna and Ben
Leave a Reply