Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Behavior...Standing Firm

 “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil…”        
2 Timothy 2:24-26

My husband and son went to the hockey game last night.  At first, I was a little unsure of how our daughter would handle going to bed without her brother being in the room with her.  The hockey game fell on a night that my friend and I would usually get together to pray and hold each other accountable for living this Christian life.  I had planned to let our daughter watch a Veggie Tales movie while my friend was over but her behavior throughout the day was such that I couldn’t bless her with watching the special movie. 

While we were doing a puzzle before her shower and bedtime she expressed to me that she didn’t understand what the relationship was between her behavior and the ban from the movie.  (It kind of floored me that she was able to articulate all this without whining!!!)  I explained the relationship between the behavior and the blessing and that I couldn’t bless her for her poor behavior during the day.

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,” Ephesians 5:15

In those kinds of tender moments, we have to communicate in love and truth.  Correction not condemnation.  If we don’t “stick to our guns”, “put our foot down” or in a better phrase, “stand firm” our word will become weak and not trustworthy to our children.

If I would have given in to her sweet little face, she wouldn’t have learned anything.  Even if she didn’t this time, I did!  And I will have other opportunities to “stand firm” again and again I’m sure.  But next time being more confident that I’m leading her to behave wisely rather than as a fool.

BTW she was a complete angel upon my friend's arrival, and went right to bed.  I know God is doing a good work in all of us.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

As mommas we might tend to feel the need to "control" all the happenings of our family.  Here's a little devotion from Our Daily Bread to help us remember the majesty of our God.  We can sing that little Sunday School song, "He's got the whole world in His hand..." but we tend to forget it when life's issues pool upon us...

https://odb.org/ (Spilling Through My Fingers, by Kirsten Holmberg. March 16, 2017)