Faithful Friday / Faithful: I Can Trust Him!

This is not a brag. Much to my discredit, I can out debate, or out argue, most people about their sin or their bad choices. I can be victorious in that. I can chalk one up to "I won!", "Proved my point", etc. But if my "preaching" pushes people away from Jesus in frustration, what have I accomplished? What have I really won?

Everyone wants to be right. Most of us want to justify our sins, so we can excuse them instead of dealing with our issues. That's our Adamic nature - just like Adam!

But in my efforts to prove I'm right, if I've frustrated you to the point that you don't want to be around me - then I've lost! I've lost relationship with you. I've lost my opportunity to love you to Jesus.

I'm going to share a scenario with you that I just imperfectly parented. [Don't throw stones! If you haven't read the intro to my blogs, you need to! No claim to perfection here!]

My child (who shall remain nameless to not bring shame to the gulity) just said to me,

"I know! You've told me a 100 times!"

My lawyer, legalistic, sharp witted retaliation was, "Well, why aren't you doing what you know !?!?"

I succeeded in shutting my child up. Woopee! ( I'm being sarcastic.) But I also was successful in pushing them away. They didn't want to hear another word from their preachy, know-it-all mama.

After, the fact, I asked Holy Spirit how or what should I have done? He shared this scenario that would have been a much better response.

"You are absolutely right. I have told you lots of times, and you're a smart child. You will make the right choice!" Then lovingly pat them on the head and walk away.

I should have let Holy Spirit bring the conviction instead of trying to force the conviction myself. NOT MY JOB! And yes, I've repented and asked for forgiveness in exalting myself to "God" potion. Thank the Lord, for His Grace and Mercy.

It is so hard as a parent not to preach at our kids. Believe me, I know there's a fine line between teaching and preaching. I must teach & train with humility, lest I lose my child's heart because of my own insecurities or fears of them making bad choices. Let me just help settle that in your heart right now. They are going to make some bad choices! It's called being human. You did it. I did it, and we still do sometimes. But Daddy God is bigger than our bad choices, and He's bigger than our children's bad choices, also.

Sometimes your toddler is going to be right beside you and no matter how fast your reflexes are or how hard you try you don't quite make it to break their fall. All you can do is pick them up, comfort and reassure them that you are there with them in their pain.

God will not violate your child's free will, but even in the bad choices He never leaves them or forsakes them. He's with them every step of the fall, and He too will pick them up comfort and restore them. You can TRUST your God to love Your child better, more, and deeper than you do!

Keep training. Sow God seeds of wisdom into their hearts. Water their souls with the Word of God. Expose them to the Sunshine of Jesus' love. Then leave the growth, maturation, and harvest to your Faithful Father. You can trust Him! I can trust Him!

". . . for He who promised is faithful!" (Hebrews 10:23)