Resigned

Do you ever get tired of life? Maybe the word life is too broad... do you ever get tired of facing the same issues over and over again? As a wife and mom of three, I find myself doing and saying the same things. On occasion, I also find myself starting to feel sorry for myself.  While going down this road a few weeks ago, the idea popped into my head that I was going to write my family a resignation letter.  I was going to officially resign from being the "scape goat".  I'm sure you've been there, everyone needs you to help them keep it all together, you do your best only to end up being blamed for whatever was missing or went wrong that day.  I was going to officially resign from being the "referee" of the many petty arguments between my kids.  I was going to officially resign from "search and rescue" and wasting countless minutes looking for the missing sock that was thrown into the back corner of the closet or kicked under the bed.  I was going to officially resign from the "complaint department".  I am tired of telling them how blessed they are when they can't see past wanting the latest gadget. I could go on but I'm sure you get my point :) 

Well, I actually sat down to write this letter recently, but the first thing I did was to get the dictionary definition of the word resign.

Resign, resigned, resignation:

To give up an office or position.

To accept that something undesirable cannot be avoided.

Be submissive or humbly obedient.

Yield. 

To submit passively (without resistence).

To relinquish a right or claim.

An accepting, unresisting attitude.

The first definition was exactly what I was looking for, but when I read the rest, I was humbled.  Isn't that exactly what we talk about in Bible study? That God wants us to be submissive, humbly obedient to Him and His calling for our lives?  My family is part of my calling, not to be a doormat, but to be Jesus to them.  No they aren't perfect, but neither am I.  Jesus loves us, and while we were still sinners, gave His life for us so that we could live that "ideal" life with Him in heaven.  I'm glad that Jesus resigned - He gave up His position in heaven to be human, to humbly take our sin upon Himself, to submit passively to His death on the cross, with an accepting attitude that He was doing God's will.

My resignation letter will read a little bit differently than I originally anticipated.  I will pray that God helps me give up my selfish nature, that He helps remind me daily that we are all sinful and accept that sometimes undesirable things cannot be avoided, and finally that He gives me an accepting and unresisting attitude to His calling.

This also proves that God will speak to us even through a Webster's Dictionary!

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24