>Please keep those of us who are in the path of Hurricane Gustav in your prayers. Thank you.
Update (9-18-08):
Thank you for your prayers. Although my family was without power for 7 days, we were very blessed not to have had any damage to our house.
Please continue to pray for those who are still recovering from the extensive damage of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
A Wretch Like Me…
If you get the TV channel FamilyNet, be sure to check out a great apologetics show called Wretched. It is hosted by Todd Friel (who works with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron on Way of the Master radio), and discusses issues relevant to the church and Christianity today.
More info. at this link: http://www.familynet.com/site/c.rwL5KhNXLtH/b.3975515/k.6B0A/Wretched_with_Todd_Friel.htm
For those of you who live in my area, it comes on channel 17 at 12:00 – 12:30 a.m. (so you might want to DVR/tape it!).
The 10 Commandments of Parenting- 10
10.
Thou shalt love.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. I John 4:11
Loving our children isn’t something that just happens. It also isn’t just a nice fuzzy feeling. It’s a duty. A responsibility. A command from the lips of God Himself.
“…if God SO loved us…” What does that “so” mean? It’s talking about the way God loves us.
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10
God loved us enough to do what was best for us even though it cost Him that which He held most dear. He loved us sacrificially and unselfishly.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Even when we were living in outright rebellion against Him and didn’t care that he wanted what was best for us, God loved us.
For whom the LORD loves He reproves; Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:12
God loves His children too much to allow us to continue in our sin, so He disciplines us.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us Ephesians 2:4
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
But, even as God disciplines us, in His mercy he forgives us when we repent of our sin.
The steps of a man are established by the LORD; And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong; Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. Psalm 37:23-24
God delights in our obedience to Him and our love for Him. And even when we fall, He’s right there holding our hand and helping us get back up.
He who has clean hands and a pure heart; Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood; And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD; And righteousness from the God of his salvation. Psalm 24:4-5
God rewards and blesses obedience to His word.
Do we love our children the way God loves us? Do we…
- love them sacrificially and unselfishly?
- love them enough to want what’s best for them?
- love them enough tofollow through and do what’s best for them even if they fight us every step of the way?
- love them enough to disicipline them?
- love them enough to forgive them?
- love them by delighting in them?
- love them by blessing and rewarding them for doing well?
It’s a huge challenge. Our kids are going to drive us up the wall, rebel, pout, whine, and at times, break our hearts. Just like we do to God. But if He so loved us, we ought also to love our children.
The 10 Commandments of Parenting- 9
9.
Thou shalt be forgiving.
“bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Colossians 3:13
Imagine a home where there was no forgiveness. Anger and bitterness would reign supreme. Old wounds would be nursed and rehearsed. Grudges would be held tightly as treasured friends. Is this kind of home healthy for anyone, let alone children? Is it Christlike?
Of course not. In our homes, the place where we are most inclined to let it all hang out, forgiveness is even more vital than in any other venue. If you have a husband and/or children, you know that the people who live in your house are going to mess up. Royally, at times. And guess what? So are you.
How will you want to be treated when you mess up? I’m guessing that while you’ll understand your family will be disappointed in you, you’ll still want them to find it in their hearts to forgive you once they work through that disappointment. In obedience to the “Golden Rule” (Luke 6:31), therefore, you’ve got to extend forgiveness when your husband or children offend you.
When we forgive each other, we paint a picture of God’s forgiveness. Just as God does not condone our sin when He forgives us, the forgiveness we extend on the human level does not mean that the offender’s actions were OK. It is merely a way of saying, “I’m going to let this go instead of continually holding it against you.”
God deeply values forgiveness. It is the entire reason He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth and allowed Him to be brutalized to death. Jesus endured all that pain and degradation so that each of us could be forgiven for offending God. And, if God could go through all of that to forgive us, how could we – out of love for Him – ever refuse to forgive our loved ones?
The 10 Commandments of Parenting- 8
8.
Thou shalt set a good example for thy children
by thine own Godly behavior.
“…walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,” Ephesians 4:1-2
Do what I say, not what I do.
Monkey see, monkey do.
Actions speak louder than words.
Practice what you preach.
Which of those maxims seem to ring true when it comes to parenting? For years, every childrearing expert who has come along has reminded us that modeling the behavior we want our kids to exhibit is one of the most effective ways of shaping them. Of course, if you’re a mom of a child who is old enough to walk and talk, you already know that modeling works, because, for better or for worse, you’ve already heard your own words fly out of your child’s mouth or seen him imitate you at some point!
Your kids will imitate you. My kids will imitate me. How do we use that knowledge to pour godliness into them? The Bible tells us that we are to be imitators of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1; Ephesians 5:1-2). We need to strive for godliness in our own lives until we can say to our kids, as Paul said to the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
They need to see us studying our Bibles and spending time in prayer. They need to see us resist temptation. They need to see us set aside our own desires in favor of serving others. They need to see us exhibit love, humility, kindness, patience, forgiveness and mercy. They need to hear us building others up instead of criticizing and gossiping. They need to see us work through problems with our husbands, families and friends in a godly way. They need to see us admit when we’re wrong and seek forgiveness.
So, in the spirit of that old children’s song:
Oh, be careful Mommy’s mouth what you say
And be careful Mommy’s feet where you go
And be careful Mommy’s hands what you do
Not only is “the Father up above…looking down in love,” but our little ones are looking up at us too.
