2:67 – Just Do What You Are Told. It’s Easier

#faithbites #faithjourney told

Today hasn’t been a good parenting day. Maybe it’s because the kids have had too much family time with everyone being sick or maybe it’s cabin fever, who knows. But let’s just say, pretty much ever time we asked the kids to do something, it was a fight. Either blatant Nos, passive aggressive, or fights about doing it. The funny thing is, they are going to do what is asked anyway, but why not do it in the first place. Save the energy, stop fighting, and just do it.

Very frustrating when we know what’s good for our children, know how to help them, and just want what’s good for them. Frustrating.

Scripture

• And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40
• Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession – Exodus 19:5

Reflection

While our kids don’t do what they are told ,we often don’t do what is we are told to do. We have simple commandments from God to follow, but we break them all the time. We run around doing what we think is right, but often isn’t following the word. Then we fail, repent, and are forgiven. Imagine if we didn’t have to go through all those steps and just did what was told.

Maybe, like our kids, it’s part of growing up. We flex against our Lord and all authority. We think we can do it on our own, then we have a setback. Sometimes this is when we repent, other times we keep going down the rabbit hole until it’s too unbearable. Then we confess, are forgiven, and do what we are told.

My kids usually get there, but often it takes consequences like not seeing a movie, going to bed without watching videos, losing a toy. But there is always forgiveness, and they eventually do what they were told. No matter how many talks we have about wouldn’t it be easier to just listen, I guess they have to go down that road themselves. We’re no different.

Charge

Do you ever get that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you are about to do something questionable? Then it doesn’t go the way you thought? Guess what, that’s our father telling us not to do it. Then you wish you would have not done it but it is too late. Next time you get that feeling, take a second, and listen. Maybe it would be easier to do what you are told.

Prayer

Gracious Father, help all the parents out there struggling with kids who just won’t do what they are told. We know that through you we are trying to do what is right by them, but they don’t listen. We also know that we do the same thing to you. Help us to listen to you first, before asking. Let us know that your Word is Truth, and we will be rewarded by following you. In your name, Amen.