PARENTAL CARE SERIES - REPICTURE OBEDIENCE AT HOME (S19E02

 

TOPIC: REPICTURE OBEDIENCE AT HOME

BIBLE REF: Genesis 3:1‭-‬7 AMP*, _Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.” And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of the two of them were opened [that is, their awareness increased], and they knew that they were naked; and they fastened fig leaves together and made themselves coverings._

_He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?_

 *Micah 6:8 AMP* 

*Perfect pictures are a glimpse of a part, not the whole. Even though the outward action is the snapshot of obedience, it is not the complete story. Obedience training is not about the snapshot. It is about everything leading up to it.*

So, how do we train up our children to truly get that natural, perfect picture? The good and bad news of training in obedience is the same. It’s not about us, it’s all about them. It doesn’t matter if we kindly and perfectly ask or if we are loud or if we enforce consequences. The choice to obey lies solely on our children. They are humans (as are we) born into a sinful nature. When Eve chose in the garden to disobey, she desired to do what she wanted to do. It did not matter that everything she could ever want or need was already there for her. It did not matter that she could walk and talk with God unhindered and unashamed. It did not matter that she lived in perfect freedom. She wanted what she wanted and acted upon it. So do we.

Therefore, training up a child in the way they should go is not fully about the act of obedience. Rather it is a lifelong four-fold lesson that consists of training our children to listen, trust, say yes, and then obey. We must go deeper than the outward action for obedience to have its root where it belongs- in the heart. 

Our Father continually takes us through the school of trust and obedience throughout our entire lives, but He gives us the privilege of setting the stage so our children can truly obey Him. His training of us is free of scrambling, coercing, demanding, pleading, pacifying, or doing whatever it takes to get an outward action- that one small snapshot of obedience. He rather calls us into a relationship with Him, which leads to joyful and restful obedience. Shouldn’t our parenting reflect this? 

As we, us and our children, see how good God is, it becomes our joy to give our yes and say, “not my will, but yours.” Our parenting leads our children back to the garden, to walk and talk with Him, and to love His authority. We can only understand obedience through relationship, not compliance to rules. 

Our relationship with our Heavenly Father therefore sets up the most beautiful picture of a lifetime of love in Him. 

_PLS STAY TUNED FOR CONTINUATION TOMORROW BY GOD'S GRACE!_

REMEMBER, WE LOVE YOU BUT GOD LOVES YOU MORE, STAY BLESSED, FOCUSED AND BE DETERMINED TO EXCEL!