Why is this so important?
Because you sin against your children. You sinned
yesterday. You sin today. You will sin tomorrow. Does that disqualify you from
being a parent? No, and if you have recognized this pattern of sin in your
life, then you have great hope as you continue on in the task of parenting that
God has called you to.
You were not perfect when you became a Christian, and
you are certainly not perfect now. Thankfully, the salvation that Christians
have received is so powerful, so complete and awesome, that when you sin, God
commands you to come and be renewed instead of turning from away from God.
What does this look like in everyday life? Here is an
example:
You just became impatient with your nine-year-old. He
was slow doing his part of the yard work. You snapped at him and told him if he didn't work harder he would lose his computer privileges for six months. You
knew your response was wrong as soon as you said it. Here are some of the ways
in which you might respond if you are not engaging in genuine repentance and renewal:
1.You think that you shouldn't feel guilty because he
really is being slow. You know you should not have snapped, but he should have
worked faster, so you say nothing.
2. You are embarrassed about snapping but reluctant to
acknowledge it to your son, so again, you say nothing.
3. You feel guilty for snapping, so you apologize
profusely and tell him that the work he did was great and that you really didn't mean he couldn't use the computer. Then you say why doesn't he take the
rest of the afternoon off and you will finish up his part of the work.
4.You apologize for snapping, but tell him that you have
a lot to do, and he really needs to get
with the program and show you that he cares about doing his work, because that
is what he should do to honor God.
I am sure you can figure out several other variations on
this theme. In none of these hypothetical
responses has the parent drawn any closer to God. In none of these responses
has there been true repentance. There has been some remorse, but the underlying
anger and frustration remain. You have not grown closer to God and your son has
not grown closer to you.
Here is what the conversation might sound like when you
follow a the biblical model:
“Son, I was wrong to snap. I wasn't trusting God or
being kind or helpful to you. Would you please forgive me for snapping? Also,
God is helping me to remember that I have snapped at you a lot in the last few
days, so I need to ask forgiveness for those times as well. Thank you! Let’s
pray and ask God for his help and thank him for the providing the way of
repentance and forgiveness for us. Great! Now, let’s talk about why things are
going slowly with the yard work.” This parent has acknowledged sin for what it
is. He is confident in the power of Christ’s salvation. He knows he will not be
cast aside. He knows that because of what Christ did on the cross, his sins are
truly forgiven. He knows that he can reach out to his son. And he knows that
because of biblical forgiveness he can immediately begin to help his son with
his struggles.
Don’t be dominated by your sin. Rather, be dominated by
the power of God and his Son. God has given you a way to conquer sin in the
middle of everyday life.
Source: A great article from Jay Younts at Shepherd
Press
2 comments:
I'm a Christian mom of two, so I do agree that setting a Christian example for your children is the most important thing. In my home, we're good at the "forgiving" act and talk, but your post reminded me that I could do a better job at praying on the spot. {We usually reserve prayer time to meals and bedtime.}
XOXO,
Meredith
It is hard to always do. I know with my two sometimes I felt like I wanted to pull my hair out. it was like I could never catch up. Sometimes I find myself just talking to Jesus like I am to you. I have to say that even just saying "Jesus help me get through this day" you load is lighter. He really does listen and will help us when we call on him. This article really opened my eyes as well. Being a good parent is really tough job and even though we all have shortcomings aren't you glad we serve a Lord that loves us anyway?! :):) God bless you and I hope you have a great day!!! :):)
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