Several months ago,
I awoke to the sounds of two bickering boys. Jay and Trent were accusing each
other of being mean to the other. Then, as expected, one of the boys approached
our bedroom door ready to present his allegation of why the other one was being
mean. Well, since I was still in a fog from having just woke up, I didn’t fully
address it at that moment. Frankly, I am not a morning person and it was too
early to be an adult. I managed somehow, to get them all (including the 2 year
old) to calm down enough to go downstairs for breakfast. The bickering and side
remarks were still going on. At some point, it became too much for me and I
talked to them about how they were treating each other. I went on to explain
how this is not how brothers should treat each other and asked them if they
thought this pleased God. Of course, I get a resounding "No".
A few minutes pass
by and I notice Jay is nowhere to be found. Lately, when he is upset about
something he has been going upstairs and getting into his bed to think about
what is making him sad and upset. So I was pretty sure that’s where he was.
After a while, he comes downstairs with a note in his hand. In the note, he is
apologizing to me and explaining that he was sad because he had been mean to
Trent. It was a sweet little letter. I thanked him for it and reminded him to
apologize to his brother as well. So he did. Well, not long after that, Jay
comes over to me with one of his hourly hugs and I love you's (yes, hourly).
Then, he says, in so many words, that he apologized because he really wants God
to get him "that Nintendo Switch for Christmas". And there it was, the real motive behind this
"heart change" toward his brother.
Motive—the force behind why we do what we do. Why are we
kind to some people and cruel to others? Why do we go or not go to church? Why
do we give to some and not others? Whether we acknowledge it or not, there is
always a reason behind our actions and/or inaction.
Let's consider the
royal administrators of King Darius in Daniel 6. They did not like Daniel one
bit. He had what they wanted and they needed a way to rid themselves of him.
When they could find no wrong doing in regards to how Daniel conducted
government affairs, they came up with an idea to trick King Darius. They
pretended to honor him so that he would issue a decree that said anyone who
prays to any god or human other than him within the next 30 days should be
thrown in the lion's den. But when Daniel heard about this decree, he prayed
three times a day just as he had done before. When the royal administrators saw
this, they spoke to the King and reminded him of his decree. They told him
about Daniel praying and King Darius had to put Daniel in the lion's den. But
God, being who He is, saw to it that the lions did not touch Daniel. God proved
Daniel's innocence. And because of their false accusation, the royal
administrators and their families were thrown into the lion's den and were no
more. Although, the administrators tried
to disguise their wickedness with kind words, their hearts were eventually
exposed and the consequence was dire. Daniel's motive, however, was to please
God. This resulted in glory being given to God and a prosperous life for Daniel
during the reigns of King Darius and King Cyrus.
We should always be
in a habit of asking ourselves what our motive is regarding anything that we
do, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. As parents, we must
instruct our kids on the importance of doing things from a place of
authenticity. Let's teach them that it's not enough to honor God with our
mouths. We must honor him with our hearts above all else.
They have made up several times since this story. |
Amen! What a beautiful analogy you've made with Jay's motivation to quickly apologize and Daniel's story in being placed in the Lions den. Thank you for sharing your wisdom of parenting and the understanding of the Lord's WORD.
ReplyDeleteMay we forevermore bless, praise, and give Him the GLORY that He deserves. For the LORD is Worthy.
Best Casinos in Reno, NV - Mapyro
ReplyDeleteReno, Nevada, USA · 서울특별 출장샵 MGM 화성 출장샵 Grand Casino. MGM Grand Hotel · The Shops 안동 출장마사지 at MGM Grand 양주 출장안마 · The Linq Hotel · 충청북도 출장안마 The Mirage Hotel · The T-Mobile Hotel · The Strip.