What do you think when you go to dinner with your friends who bring their kids and the kids act like maniacs? You think "I will never do this again". I'm not talking about the occasional outburst, I am talking about the crawling on the floor, screaming because they can't open every creamer/sugar packet, making a mess, EVERY time you go out with them.
I don't really care one way or the other if you believe in spanking your child. Whether you use time out, you take things away, no matter what your discipline tactic, I hope that you follow through, I think that is most important. I think what's most important is that you know what works for your child, and you use it. I will tell you that while I didn't beat my child (she was spanked all of 5 times in her life, and really hasn't been spanked since I think she was 6, but really that's neither here nor there).
But really, no one really likes discipline, frankly, I wish Phyllis got out the gate behaving correctly, loving Jesus, not be selfish, etc, and just plain being good. Unfortunatly that just does not happen, and as a parent, it's our job to seek God and to raise our children to do those things.
It's not just about them, it's about us too. We have parents, and we have this awesome Father who teaches us lessons, who helps us to be more like Him everyday. I will be honest, I hate lessons, sometimes I am just the slowest learner (lol) and God continues to have to teach me over and over again, and I wonder if sometimes He's like "if you don't get it this time, I'm getting the spoon and it's going to be painful".
But I know that even through each lesson, through each "spanking" I am going to come out a little better than when I went in.
Yesterday I ran into someone I went to college with (just 2 years ago). I didn't want to say hi, if I could have darted down an aisle, I would have, but I was trapped. I sat there thinking "should I ignore, should i say hi, Oh Lord, I don't like him, can I please just be rude?" But I said "hi how are you?" And the jerk made some smart-ass comment and I thought and ALMOST said out "still an a-hole" but I didn't, and I also thought "still in need of a heart". I should pray for him, and the only prayers that came to mind where "please God, humble him, please God, bring him to his knees to love You" and none of those did I mean in a good way. And I thought, "uh-oh, here comes the lesson, it's easy to pray for those you love, it's those that you dislike or think that are jerks that it's hard to pray for. That hot coals thing (Romans 12:20 20On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."). You can't dump hot coals on someone's head, and then hold their head under water and call it "living like Jesus". You've got to do what's right, to really pray for healing, and love, and all that good stuff so they see the Face of Jesus everyday in order for them to follow. Ugh. Lessons. So I did the right thing, and it wasn't easy, but I know it's a step in the right direction. Only to walk out to my car to see he left me a not-love note on my car. Pray again.
And let me tell you, this incident, it rocked me to the core until I really put it at the feet of Jesus and said "help me with this, make me more like You".
Hebrews 12:11-13 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
I don't really care one way or the other if you believe in spanking your child. Whether you use time out, you take things away, no matter what your discipline tactic, I hope that you follow through, I think that is most important. I think what's most important is that you know what works for your child, and you use it. I will tell you that while I didn't beat my child (she was spanked all of 5 times in her life, and really hasn't been spanked since I think she was 6, but really that's neither here nor there).
But really, no one really likes discipline, frankly, I wish Phyllis got out the gate behaving correctly, loving Jesus, not be selfish, etc, and just plain being good. Unfortunatly that just does not happen, and as a parent, it's our job to seek God and to raise our children to do those things.
It's not just about them, it's about us too. We have parents, and we have this awesome Father who teaches us lessons, who helps us to be more like Him everyday. I will be honest, I hate lessons, sometimes I am just the slowest learner (lol) and God continues to have to teach me over and over again, and I wonder if sometimes He's like "if you don't get it this time, I'm getting the spoon and it's going to be painful".
But I know that even through each lesson, through each "spanking" I am going to come out a little better than when I went in.
Yesterday I ran into someone I went to college with (just 2 years ago). I didn't want to say hi, if I could have darted down an aisle, I would have, but I was trapped. I sat there thinking "should I ignore, should i say hi, Oh Lord, I don't like him, can I please just be rude?" But I said "hi how are you?" And the jerk made some smart-ass comment and I thought and ALMOST said out "still an a-hole" but I didn't, and I also thought "still in need of a heart". I should pray for him, and the only prayers that came to mind where "please God, humble him, please God, bring him to his knees to love You" and none of those did I mean in a good way. And I thought, "uh-oh, here comes the lesson, it's easy to pray for those you love, it's those that you dislike or think that are jerks that it's hard to pray for. That hot coals thing (Romans 12:20 20On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."). You can't dump hot coals on someone's head, and then hold their head under water and call it "living like Jesus". You've got to do what's right, to really pray for healing, and love, and all that good stuff so they see the Face of Jesus everyday in order for them to follow. Ugh. Lessons. So I did the right thing, and it wasn't easy, but I know it's a step in the right direction. Only to walk out to my car to see he left me a not-love note on my car. Pray again.
And let me tell you, this incident, it rocked me to the core until I really put it at the feet of Jesus and said "help me with this, make me more like You".
Hebrews 12:11-13 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Comments
You showed such gracious to the person you met.