I love being a dad to four beautiful, wonderful children.\u00a0 Like every parent though, some days are easier than others.\u00a0 Yesterday had one of those difficult moments.\u00a0 The good thing about difficult moments is that they can be teaching moments if handled properly.\u00a0 Here is the scene from yesterday.\u00a0 Eli, our oldest, has some chapped lips.\u00a0 He asked for chap stick.\u00a0 He thought it was out in our van, which is generally a pretty good guess.\u00a0 So he put his shoes on and ran out to the van.\u00a0 When he came in he announced, “I used it and put it right back.”\u00a0 That statement set off some bells in my and my wife’s head.\u00a0 The question I wanted to ask was, “who are you and what did you do with my Eli?”\u00a0 However, very calmly Diana asked Eli, “why didn’t you bring it in?”\u00a0 He then calmly turns around and goes back out to the van.\u00a0 Just a minute or so later it happened.\u00a0 Our seven year old son comes back into the house balling his eyes out.\u00a0 As he burst through the door he made a pronouncement, “mommy, daddy I lied.”\u00a0 Crying almost uncontrollably at this point, he and Diana went into our bedroom to talk.\u00a0 After a few moments of discussion, Diana and I had a talk with one question, do we punish him further?\u00a0 Obviously this little fella was hurting and heart broken over what he did.\u00a0 I told Diana I didn’t think we had a choice, he needed some further consequences because he did knowingly, willingly lie.\u00a0 I thought it was great that his conscience bothered him enough to cry about it and tell on himself, but we needed to lovingly demonstrate to him that all of our actions have consequences, and simply feeling sorry over something isn’t enough.\u00a0 Therefore, Diana and I talked with Eli again and let him know what his consequences were, but we also explained why we were doing it.\u00a0 I have to admit, that was one of the hardest moments as a parent.\u00a0 In my head, I know that what we did was right and that it was necessary.\u00a0 But in my papa heart, I felt heart broken because he was crying, sad, and just so upset.<\/p>\n
I imagine that our Heavenly Father feels much the same if not a deeper burden when we sin against Him.\u00a0 If sin is so terrible that it took the blood of a sinless Savior for us to be forgiven, yet God loved us so much that He was willing to pay that price, I can’t imagine He enjoys watching the poor choices of all mankind.\u00a0 The verse that we used with Eli and have with our other boys, the verses I have even preached on were Proverbs 3:11-12, “<\/b>My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom<\/i> he delighteth.”\u00a0 God disciplines us not out of anger, but rather out of love.\u00a0 He wants us to remember what it felt like to have these consequences, in hopes that the next time we are tempted to sin against Him, we would remember and turn away.\u00a0 Discipline is never fun, but it is necessary.\u00a0 I would love to have the knowledge that Eli nor any of the other children will ever mess up again, because of the consequences, but then again I know better than that.\u00a0 It still doesn’t change my love for Eli, Noah, Caleb, or Cataleyah.\u00a0 I may not always like what they choose to do, but I do always love them.\u00a0 Where did I learn that?\u00a0 My Heavenly Father taught me and continues to teach me (1 John 4:9, 18-20).<\/p>\n
By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I love being a dad to four beautiful, wonderful children.\u00a0 Like every parent though, some days are easier than others.\u00a0 Yesterday had one of those difficult moments.\u00a0 The good thing about difficult moments is that they can be teaching moments … Read More