Got the stepfamily blues?  Do you find yourself in a constant tug-o-war over whose parenting styles are right? Ready to run for the hills? Read below to discover how to stepforward and lead your family out of the struggles.

Perseverance

Psalm 127:3 says “Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from Him.”  However, differences in how we raise them can be a great source of contention between ourselves and our spouse in our blended family.  How do we keep the peace and sanity in our home during the child-rearing years and teenage years?  How do we keep from reenacting the Battle of Gettysburg in our own living room with the two families that we have blended together? How do we keep from running for the hills? 

Steadfast, God-sized perseverance. The thesaurus’ words for perseverance include: persistence, dedication, steadfastness, grit, stamina, endurance.  When we are ready to run, ready to put the for-sale sign in the front yard, God’s steadfast perseverance is what can keep us here to do what God has called us to do.

Hebrews 10:36 “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

So how can we obtain some God-sized perseverance? How can we be steadfast during the times of struggles?  

The answers – prayer, spending time in His word, and surrendering it all to Him.  It may seem too simple for these gritty, grueling times, but it is exactly what we need to help ourselves and our family.  Drawing strength from getting on our knees, confessing our anguish to Him, surrendering it all, asking for His guidance and strength, praying in the Spirit, opening His Word, reading scripture, and letting the power of His Words soak in and transform us.

Prayer:

Lord God, I confess to you that I am battling. Battling to stay and do all that you have called me to do in this family. This blended family journey can be a real, fall on your face struggle at times, and I confess to you I don’t always want to persevere to do what You want me to do here.  I want to run sometimes God.  

But God, I know that YOU are my ultimate anchor and your love and strength are steadfast and true. 

You never give up on me or my family.  

You are always there for us, and I thank you for that God.  

Thank you that you love us no matter what, and that you never leave us.  

Please forgive me for my unforgiving heart and where I falter.  Please change my heart and my thoughts Lord, so that they are in alignment with Yours.  Please help me have the willingness to do what you want me to do in this household. I pray for Your wisdom, strength and perseverance to do Your Will in my family, every second of every day.

 I invite your Spirit now to come and transform me so that I may be all that you would have me be, and all that you have called me to be in Your family that you have blessed me with. I submit my will to you Lord, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Thank you Lord, for the opportunity to do what you have called me to be in my family.

Tanya Phillips ~ Blended By His Grace.Com

Rewritten from Tanya’s 2015 Grace For Blended Families Devotional

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