Monday, November 4, 2013

Repent Early and Often - Parenting Through the Little Years (Part Five)

This is Part Five of "Three in Diapers: Parenting Through the Little Years." If you are just tuning in now, please check out the IntroductionPart One, etc. for context and disclaimers.

5. Repent early and often -- There is no getting around it. God uses children to help us see our own sinfulness. They are a sanctifying tool in our lives. One dear friend regularly confesses of her children, "They are just copying what they see me doing."

Certainly I could say that my kids each have their own brand of sinfulness, but honestly, where the rubber meets the road, I can't say that any of my kids has ever shown a form of rebellion that I can't find somewhere in my own heart and deeds.

This realization helps me have more grace and patience with my kids, as I am often reminded that God has responded to -- and continues to respond to -- my sin with much grace and patience.

I really don't like seeing my sinfulness boiling up in my life or being replicated in my children.  But do you know what? Seeing my sin is much, much, much, much, much, much better than not seeing it.

We. Have. An. Awesome. God.

God exposes our sin to us out of His love for us. Hebrews 12:5-10 says:
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.' It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
If we accept that we are sinful and that God exposes our sinfulness out of His love for us "that we may share in his holiness" (I LOVE this!), then we can altogether rejoice in the means that He has given us -- repentance through faith in Jesus Christ -- to obtain His righteousness. 1 John 1:9 says:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We really have two choices when, out of God's love for us, we see our sinfulness exposed. We can hide our heads in the sand and ignore it until our sin grows and the discipline is more painful, or we can repent. Early and often. And we can rejoice in the joy of being forgiven by a God who paid the price for all of our sins and is still at work to grow us into His likeness.

An added bonus? Our children, especially as they grow older, are going to see our sinfulness, too. If we are modeling humility for them by confessing to them when we have sinned against them and asking for their forgiveness, and freely forgiving them when they acknowledge their sin, they will know that we are a safe place to share their struggles and burdens.

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Come back soon for Part Six!

1 comment:

Shazza89101 said...

Good word of wisdom Christina and very true!!!