The Repentance of a Little Rebel

Thank you, Lord, for the other day’s wonderful opportunity to show my granddaughter the importance of obeying-- and the consequences of disobedience. Most of all, I thank you for the evident softening of her little heart toward me as I demonstrated your love -- hatred toward the sin, but love toward the little sinner.

She was very disobedient this afternoon. I had just finished telling all the girls they could go outside AFTER I put their little brother down for a nap. Two of them waited obediently (if not patiently;) for permission to leave the house. However, the strong-willed one decided she could not wait. Out she went-- against my instructions. I quickly called her back inside. She threw quite a tantrum, but I was determined to teach her there are consequences to disobedience and disrespect. I did not get angry with her and made sure she knew this. Simply and calmly, I told her she must obey and must learn there are consequences to disobedience.

She was not allowed to go out until I gave her permission… and the permission would not come as long as she was behaving badly. A short time later—once the other two girls had gone outside and our little fellow was down for a nap-- I went into the room with the toys where our little rebel sat quietly. I looked at her and I said, “I love you.” She said nothing, but turned her back on me. Then I spoke to her quietly as I let her long hair slide through my fingers and said to her, ‘If you still want to go outside, you may go now.’ She got up and headed for the door. Then she stopped... turned around... and came back to me with a big smile on her beautiful face and she wrapped her little arms around me in a big hug. I didn’t expect this, so it truly filled my heart with joy.

Thank you Lord for doing such a work in my heart.. helping me to show not only hatred for the sin that you hate- but also love for the little sinner you love. Not only this, but the reward that comes from obedience and the evidence of grace wrought in a little rebel’s heart. Earlier that day, I had explained to the girls the meaning of repentance. They tried to understand… but I don’t think they quite got it. I believe it will become clearer to them as they grow and continue to experience consequences of wrong behavior -- and realize the necessity of doing what is right. I pray they come to a good understanding of this at an early age so they will not have to suffer the terrible consequences that can come from major transgressions to God’s law.

I will add here that my ‘little rebel’ behaved more like a ‘little lady’ for the rest of that day :)

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Give- For His Glory

I’ve been thinking on the meaning of this verse in Luke 6:38, “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” This verse does not promise that we will receive material things or happiness in proportion to what we give out to others in this lifetime. Nowhere in the scriptures are we promised health, wealth or prosperity. Hebrews 11:37-38 gives clear evidence of this. Listing those who were of faith, it is said of some, “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth,” and in Romans 8:16-17 we are taught that, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Note the provision there.) Though we may not be called to suffer as severely as others have, we are not showing ourselves to be true children of God, and heirs with Christ, if we do not suffer in some way for the cause of Christ.

Jesus is not so concerned with us possessing material things as He is in our living in obedience to His teaching. Jesus’ words in Luke 12:15 are, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions,” “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul”? (Matthew 16:26).

If we truly follow Christ, we can expect to receive many good things, but not necessarily in this lifetime. We can be assured of spiritual blessings in this life- but not material blessings.. This doesn’t mean we won’t have many material things- for most of us likely do- but we should never take for granted our earthly possessions, for we could lose them as easily as we gain them. As Christians, our main concern should be living in obedience to scripture’s teaching. We are told in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

James 1:11-12 shows us the futility of storing up treasure on this earth, “For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. (However) Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

May we be seeking a heavenly treasure-- the crown of life for those who love God and desire to spend an eternity as fellow heirs with Christ, our Savior. May we give without expecting anything in return (in an earthly sense), knowing that the glory awaiting us will far outweigh the suffering of this present age, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” ( Romans 8:18).

May God give us the desire to do good to all- not to be rewarded in this lifetime- but to show our love for Him and our faith in a much better life to come- for all of eternity.

Train up your Children- Endeavor to Bring them to Christ

J.C. Ryle made the following quote, "We must never allow ourselves to suppose that little children’s souls may be safely let alone. Their character depends exceedingly on what they see and hear during their first seven years. They are never too young to learn evil and sin. They are never too young to receive religious impressions. They think in their childish way about God, their souls, and a world to come, far sooner and far more deeply than most people are aware. They are far more ready to respond to appeals to their feeling of right and wrong than many suppose. They have each a conscience. God has mercifully not left Himself without a witness in their hearts, fallen and corrupt as their natures are. They each have a soul which will live forever in heaven or in hell. We cannot begin too soon to endeavor to bring them to Christ."

Notice J.C. Ryle’s last statement, ‘We cannot begin too soon to endeavor to bring them to Christ’. He understood that we are not capable of bringing our children to Christ; however, it is our responsibility to ‘endeavor’ to do so. We need to understand that everything our children are exposed to from infanthood onward will influence all of their choices and decisions in life- for good or for evil. The good influences will help shape their choices and decisions in that direction-- the evil influences will have a destructive effect on the choices and decisions they make. This is true for all of us. As Christians, it is imperative that we fill the minds of our children with God’s word and strive, by God’s grace, to influence them for good.

Children are very malleable. Just as saplings, if not trained to grow a certain way, they will bend and grow misshapen. Even though we know that by God’s grace alone our children are brought to a saving faith, we must also know that we are very responsible to teach them in the ways of the Lord, training them in the way they should go. Proverbs 22:5-6 reads, “Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” We cannot, of course, fulfill this responsibility in our own strength and resources-- any more than we can fulfill the command of scripture (in Matthew 5:48) to be perfect. Such commands, given by the Lord, are fulfilled only as HE works through us. And God does intend to use family life as a means of raising up godly offspring,“Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth” (Malachi 2: 15).

Raising up Godly offspring is one of the purposes of a Christian marriage. It is not only a duty and a tremendous responsibility, but also a privilege to follow God’s commands to train up our children in His ways. We are totally responsible for imparting to our children a knowledge of God’s word and must strive to teach them a fear of the Lord so they may (by the grace of God) learn to depart from evil and choose what is right and pleasing in God’s sight. In reality, we need to be doing this for as long as our children are with us (far past the age of 7). However, studies indicate that the first 7 years are very formative years and that even John Newton, who we know grew up to be a very ungodly man (until his conversion) remembered the training of his mother from those formative years. “Newton was nurtured by a Christian mother who taught him the Bible at an early age, but he was raised in his father's image after she died of tuberculosis when Newton was 7.”

We do not know what means God will use to bring others to salvation, but we must take seriously our responsibility for our children and grandchildren teaching them as best we can, at every opportunity given, while at the same time understanding that God’s grace alone can bring them to salvation. May He have mercy on us and our children..

“know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time” (Deuteronomy 4:39-40).

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).