I've been finding myself corned again by my own reason (or lack thereof!). As I try to teach my children self-control I'm running into the old "ought-to/let go-let God" wrestling match. How much of what we teach our children should be "effort" based when we believe in a God who works in us and through us to do his good works?
Now, we put up with a little chaos, but it's not our religion. We teach a certain amount of order and expect obedience from our kids. We aim at consistent discipline with liberal amounts of love stirred in. Yet my wife and I both believe that it is the desperation of our kids own struggle that will lead them to rely on a Savior to help them to ultimately obey.
However, my own expectations for obedience from my children work against me. I find myself in that same place of training my children into a "do it" mode and then remember I don't believe that my "doing" is getting me anywhere. So I change tactics and tell my kids (and myself) that the "doing" for us is all surrendering. That is, giving up, resting and laying down so the God who loves us can work through us.
I can hear you already. So you're one of those lazy Christians (Yes!), a God-helps-those-who-sit-around kinda guy.
OK. I'll try to esplain the mysteries of God. No, too much. I'll sum up:
The action is inaction.
The "goin for it" is resting.
I'm battling to wait.
I'm pushing to yield.
I'm floating in a screaming dive.
This is full contact passiveness.
Yea. And God will finish his work in me (and my children).
It's good to remember that the sovereign God is still working on His plan. I'm happy to be in His universe and under Hand. I celebrate the ongoing work of the Creator!
Now, we put up with a little chaos, but it's not our religion. We teach a certain amount of order and expect obedience from our kids. We aim at consistent discipline with liberal amounts of love stirred in. Yet my wife and I both believe that it is the desperation of our kids own struggle that will lead them to rely on a Savior to help them to ultimately obey.
However, my own expectations for obedience from my children work against me. I find myself in that same place of training my children into a "do it" mode and then remember I don't believe that my "doing" is getting me anywhere. So I change tactics and tell my kids (and myself) that the "doing" for us is all surrendering. That is, giving up, resting and laying down so the God who loves us can work through us.
I can hear you already. So you're one of those lazy Christians (Yes!), a God-helps-those-who-sit-around kinda guy.
OK. I'll try to esplain the mysteries of God. No, too much. I'll sum up:
The action is inaction.
The "goin for it" is resting.
I'm battling to wait.
I'm pushing to yield.
I'm floating in a screaming dive.
This is full contact passiveness.
Yea. And God will finish his work in me (and my children).
It's good to remember that the sovereign God is still working on His plan. I'm happy to be in His universe and under Hand. I celebrate the ongoing work of the Creator!
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