Rebekah’s Journey to Faith, a Friday of Preparation Post

Rebekah’s symbolic Fruit of the Spirit Journey to Faith.
Rebekah believes she is faithful to God,
but somehow she fails her place as a mother.

Two Thousand Years Ago: Rebekah Journeys to Faith

Rebecca leaned over the fire, stirring the pot full of lentils and venison.  She heard someone approach, and turned with a smile.

“I’m starving, Mom!”

Rebecca’s smile faded slightly at the sight of her ragamuffin son.  “What happened to your coat?” she sighed.

Esau looked down at himself, surprise and consternation flooding his expression.

“Oh, I must have hooked onto a branch or something.”  This wasn’t anything new.  His face cleared and he shrugged unconcernedly, and then went back to the important thing on his mind.  “When will we eat?”

“The meal will be ready soon.  I must just add some greens and spices to the stew.”

“Where is my brother?”

“I’m sure he’s not far away.  He was going to the garden to fetch some greens for me.”   Rebecca’s glance spoke clearly.

Esau did not miss the message.

He looked down at the ground.  His mother just couldn’t understand his love for the woods.  What did she expect?  He couldn’t hang around the tent all the time; he’d go bonkers!  And besides, Jacob wouldn’t bring in that venison they all enjoyed so much?

“Oh, I hear your brother, now.”  Rebecca smiled at her dark-haired son as she reached for the bundle he held in his outstretched hand.  “Thank-you, son.  I can always depend on you to help me!”

Esau silently slipped out of the tent’s opening, feeling suddenly despondent and not understanding why.  He walked toward his father, leaning against the stone wall around the well.  His father would be happy to see him, he knew!

Today: Finding Faith

This story shows what happens when we lack faith, and therefore, can’t be faithful to the things God entrusts to us.

I always read this part of Rebekah’s story with sadness.

How could she not see that she was failing in the one great thing God had entrusted to her? She favored her son Jacob above his twin, Isaac.

It’s just wrong.

She waited so long for her babies, and knew God’s plan for them.  So somehow she began to give all her love to God’s chosen future leader, and left Isaac out of her heart.  How could she?  Did Isaac miss out on that mother bond from the day he was born?  Maybe that’s why he didn’t treasure his birthright, and began partying with the Godless people of their land, eventually marrying a girl who wasn’t a Christian.

How different the story might have been if Rebekah had been faithful with the gifts God entrusted to her!

True Faith in God results in faithful living.

Rebekah had that faith when she jumped off the big camel and became Isaac’s wife.  In the beginning, she was a great comfort to her husband.  She was faithful in the plan God had for her.

Then something happened.

It didn’t happen overnight.  But somehow, over the years, she lost some vision.  She waited and waited for her babies, then God revealed to her the huge break with tradition He planned.  The older son would serve the younger.

This knowledge seems to have caused her to favor God’s chosen one.  It’s heartbreaking when one child is favored above another.

Boys need their mother’s to model the feminine role,

so they grow up to have healthy relationships and make good life choices.

Boys will be boys–always.
And no one has a more powerful impact on them than you, Mom.

Surprise! Your boy wants to please you, and he cares deeply about what you think. Those driving needs will stay with him throughout his lifetime. That gives you, Mom, a lot of influence over your son. You can set him up for success in life.
You can make a positive imprint on your son–from the moment you first hold him in your arms until the moment he leaves for college. Your parenting style impacts your relationship with your son.
Want to capture your boy’s heart? Want a man you’ll be proud to call your son? You can make a difference, because you are the one who matters most in your boy’s world.

Dr. Kevin Leman, in What a Difference Mom Makes

Psychologists have tried to discover where inferiority comes from, and why you might feel less than.  They give three main reasons why a person can end up feeling worthless.  Being born with a defect or disability can cause feeling less than “perfect” people.  The second on the list is one’s parents: for instance, when one child is favored above another.  The third reason can be born different in race or color.  The child need not end up feeling inferior, however, when they are made to believe that their “problem” makes them less than, they will likely end up feeling inferior.

How Can You Change Inferiority into Faithfulness?

Are you saddled with feeling worthless? We researched some ideas to rise above them:

• Learn the why. Look back on your life to instances, such as abuse, that began this thought track inside of you. When you study the why, you’re coming closer to changing your feelings.
• Fix your beliefs about yourself. Your life is your own, the event(s) that caused your feelings happened. But your feelings are not true, because if you feel worthless you believe a lie. You have to fix the logic that causes you to believe you are less than because of events. God created you to be equal in His value compared to every other person. While the events did occur, you do not have to let them ruin your life. It is your choice.
• Choose to forgive. The kids that bullied you or the parent that treated you badly did wrong. There’s no doubt about that. But why did they do it? What were their beliefs in their own lives? Did they also feel less than? Were they bullied by someone else? When you realize that most people have low self worth from some happening in their lives, it’s easier to practice Fruit of the Spirit love and forgive them. You only hurt yourself by hating the doers.

Know that at journey’s end, faith in God makes you deeply worthy.