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| Sometimes they get along! |
He obeys. Technically.
But his emotions disagree. Loudly!
She is no different. Sent to the corner, she stomps her foot. Balls her hands into rigid fists by her side. She bangs her forehead on the wall. "I'm here," she seems to say, "but my heart won't give in."
Raising kids is hard work. Teaching them to obey, honor, and respect is a 24/7 obligation. Slack, even for a moment, and the opportunistic, selfish child seizes the moment.
Why do I bother? They'll just do it again when I'm not looking. Why not quit?
It's tempting.
Some days.
Then I remember, those emotions are no different than mine. God says, "do this" and I fight him. Fists balled, teeth clenched I stubbornly stand my ground. Or, I give in -- sort of -- doing what God asks, but with the same bad attitude. Caught between my own desires and God's plan, I cry. I whine. I pout. I... I... I...
"For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." (James 3:16-17)
Why do I keep going?
For my kids to understand how to submit to God, they must learn how to submit to earthly parents. For my kids to appreciate that God wants the best for them, they must learn that I want the best for them. I am their first model of Him.
Why fight?
Because I want to give my kids every opportunity to learn how to respect and honor authority -- mine, but moreso, God's. When they learn to obey me and trust that I want the best for them, they will understand that God wants that same thing. Humble, respectful obedience of parents sets the foundation for a lifetime of humble, respectful obedience of God.
As for me? I'm still working on that humble obedience myself. I pray my kids are quicker learners than I am!
Do you still fight with God?
5 comments:
So often when I reach an impasse with my kids I ask myself the question of whether I'm any more obedient than they. Usually the answer is no and I know I need to make an adjustment. I come humbly to the One who disciplines those He loves and ask for His help. When my kids disobey, I try to remember it's a cry for help all the same. Great post!
This is so true. We often need reminding about the parent-child analogy when it comes to God. Thanks for the reminder :)
I had a very hard day with my oldest today. This is a great reminder! Thanks!
Consistency and endurance are the keys, and you just have to try to be the best possible example you can, and hope that everything is a chance for learning. Keep up the good work!
“Teaching them to obey, honor, and respect is a 24/7 obligation. Slack, even for a moment, and the opportunistic, selfish child seizes the moment”
Ouch, Karen, this so resonates with our relationship with the Lord doesn’t it?
Great post it has certainly given me food for thought in how I interact with my daughter and grandchildren.
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