SIN
The Bible teachings that sin is the state of being lost or separated from God and His will by our choices and actions. Sin interrupts, opposes, or delays the reign of God. Sin is a terrible condition, which is why it required a horrible sacrifice to save us from it. Although we are all born in sin, we must “wage war against it” (Romans 7:22-23) and “aim for perfection” (II Corinthians 13:11). Praise the Lord that Christ our Savior “set us free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2)!
1. Genesis 3:8-21 I can easily imagine my children trying to hide when they are about to get caught. Then pretending they didn’t do anything and blaming anyone else when playing innocent doesn’t work. Hopefully, all parents can easily see themselves doling out the earned painful and appropriate punishment. After explaining the consequences of disobedience we should show love and forgiveness by an act of kindness while still enforcing the punishment. Did you realize the Lord God made clothes for Adam and Eve?
2. Numbers 5:5-7 Punishment is a painful part of discipline, and unfortunately there’s more! We all should confess our sins and make full restitution for them. As parents it is our job to teach this to our children. Here’s where teaching by example becomes a major challenge!
3. I Samuel 15:22-23 These words are important to remember when our children disobey us. If we do not take a definite stand against rebellion we enable our kids to seriously offend our Lord, embarrass parents, and harm themselves.
4. II Chronicles 7:14 I always relate redemption to the new testament, but this is over-simplistic and incorrect. Christ was “slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8), and healing words like these gave hope before Jesus graced the earth in the form of man.
5. Hebrews 12:5-13 This passage explains so eloquently how discipline heals and the lack of discipline cripples us. Sadly, many today think the opposite.
You might be asking how do I put into practice what the Bible preaches? Here are some suggestions to consider…
† Take sin seriously. Don’t overlook or make excuses for disobedience.
† If the Bible doesn’t clearly label a situation you are dealing with as sin, think about whether or not it helps or hinders a relationship with God and a Christian witness to the lost.
† Effective punishment does not mean your kids stop being disobedient. Punishment should cause your child to fear consequences of sin, and as a result sin less.
† PRAY without ceasing!
TAKEN FROM LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE
ReplyDeleteHis father had never interfered with him by asking, why do you behave as you do? He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom. 1 Kings 1:6
God fearing people like David and Samuel were used by God to lead nations, but nevertheless they had problems in family relationships. God fearing leaders cannot take for granted the spiritual well being of their children. They are used to having others follow their orders, but they cannot expect their children to manufacture faith upon request. Moral and spiritual character takes years to build, and it requires constant attention and patient discipline. David served God well as a king, but as a parent he often failedboth God and his children. Don't let your service to God even in leadership positions take up so much of your time and energy that you neglect your other God given responsibilities.
Your Brother in Christ
Randy
Discipline got easier for me and my kids when I changed my perspective of it. "Punishment" has a lot of negative connotations to it. It can end up implying retribution, making the child feel bad about themselves, etc if we aren't careful. I started viewing disciple more as "discontinuing behaviors", and now, if I discipline my kids, it's all about fixing a problem and finding a new solution that works better. So we do a lot more talking now, and I even started giving Rhiannon input on what kind of consequence is appropriate...so now she "owns" the consequences of her actions and understands the lessons I am trying to teach her.
ReplyDeleteChanging my own attitude keeps me from sinning too - I used to get really angry, then I'd end up screaming at the kids, and I didn't realize 1) that I was teaching my kids the wrong way to deal with anger and 2) that my temper made me ineffective, which is a disservice to Jeff and Rhi.
Have a great day everyone,
Bonnie
I just listened to The Five Love Languages of Teenagers by Gary Chapman on CD. There is also a book The Five Love Languages of Kids. I cannot recommend these books enough! They reiterate this message as well as help you understand how to delve out the discipline in a loving, non spirit breaking way. The worse thing you can do is break a child's spirit, but discipline is a necessary part of learning how to make the right choices in life. Your children will always make choices. The older they get the more choices they will get to make without your input. Helping hem learn at an early age that there are consequences that have to be paid when you make a bad decision. One thing you can do is have a list of common rules posted with consequences if they are broken. This helps to keep consistency and clarity. If the consequences change depending on how mad you are at the moment it makes them unfair. The rules and consequences can be discussed and agreed upon by all in the family. This works better as they get older.
ReplyDeleteOne big trend I have seen today is children given to much control and say in decision making. There is a fine line between helping them learn how to make decisions and allowing them to control everything that goes on around them.
Have a blessed day and give those kids a hug and a kiss.
Sandy