I say the word no a lot these days. With three middle schoolers running around our
house, I’m constantly on the watch to make sure they don’t break something or hurt
someone.
Every once in a while, I need to remind myself that my kids are just being kids. Drinks
will spill, things may break, and homework assignments might be forgotten. All in a
day’s work for a middle schooler!
When parenting and disciplining my kids, I try to be aware of their motivations and
intentions. Did he push his brother over by accident, or was he purposefully trying to
hurt him? Did that drink spill by accident, or was she running through the kitchen even
though she knows it’s against house rules? Many times, I don’t know the answers to
these questions and I just have to guess and pray I navigate the ensuing conversations
with wisdom.
The other day I was reading through Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount.” Jesus always seems
to raise the standard. Jesus reminds us that we should not murder, and then He adds
that we also shouldn’t act in anger. We should give to the needy, but we should also be
careful that our motivations when giving are pure. These are just a couple of the
challenges Jesus lays before us in this teaching.
Jesus isn’t giving us a list of do’s and don’t’s. He’s getting to the core of our hearts, and
unlike the guessing we have to do when parenting, Jesus tells us that our Heavenly
Father can actually see the unseen. He knows the motivations and intentions of our
hearts.
This is comforting and makes me uneasy at the same time. It makes me uneasy because
I’m not sure I’ve ever done anything with 100% pure motives, and God surely knows
that. However, it’s comforting because I know He loves me anyway. The Father isn’t
trying to build up a case of all the wrongs I’ve done in my life; He is trying to grow a
relationship with me.
The best example I have of this is the relationship I experience daily with my three kids.
When they were just babies, they had no ability to create anything the world would
value. They could hardly speak, they would poop their pants, and they would constantly
make messes. But none of that made me love them any less. Their daily activities could
not detract from or add to my love for them.
In the scope of eternity, none of us probably gets much beyond being three years old
spiritually before we leave this world. That alone should humble even the mighty among
us. And yet there is nothing we can do to add to or detract from the abundance of the
Father’s love for us.
He sees all things, He deeply loves us, and He’s the perfect parent.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Peace,
Nick
house, I’m constantly on the watch to make sure they don’t break something or hurt
someone.
Every once in a while, I need to remind myself that my kids are just being kids. Drinks
will spill, things may break, and homework assignments might be forgotten. All in a
day’s work for a middle schooler!
When parenting and disciplining my kids, I try to be aware of their motivations and
intentions. Did he push his brother over by accident, or was he purposefully trying to
hurt him? Did that drink spill by accident, or was she running through the kitchen even
though she knows it’s against house rules? Many times, I don’t know the answers to
these questions and I just have to guess and pray I navigate the ensuing conversations
with wisdom.
The other day I was reading through Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount.” Jesus always seems
to raise the standard. Jesus reminds us that we should not murder, and then He adds
that we also shouldn’t act in anger. We should give to the needy, but we should also be
careful that our motivations when giving are pure. These are just a couple of the
challenges Jesus lays before us in this teaching.
Jesus isn’t giving us a list of do’s and don’t’s. He’s getting to the core of our hearts, and
unlike the guessing we have to do when parenting, Jesus tells us that our Heavenly
Father can actually see the unseen. He knows the motivations and intentions of our
hearts.
This is comforting and makes me uneasy at the same time. It makes me uneasy because
I’m not sure I’ve ever done anything with 100% pure motives, and God surely knows
that. However, it’s comforting because I know He loves me anyway. The Father isn’t
trying to build up a case of all the wrongs I’ve done in my life; He is trying to grow a
relationship with me.
The best example I have of this is the relationship I experience daily with my three kids.
When they were just babies, they had no ability to create anything the world would
value. They could hardly speak, they would poop their pants, and they would constantly
make messes. But none of that made me love them any less. Their daily activities could
not detract from or add to my love for them.
In the scope of eternity, none of us probably gets much beyond being three years old
spiritually before we leave this world. That alone should humble even the mighty among
us. And yet there is nothing we can do to add to or detract from the abundance of the
Father’s love for us.
He sees all things, He deeply loves us, and He’s the perfect parent.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Peace,
Nick