Skip to main content

My Kid did What?!?!

When Christians and "church people" begin to view and confront sin the way we would a child who has gone astray, then maybe people will be able to hear us because we won't sound like a bunch of arrogant hotheads.

My son is only 3 so I know that I haven't been through the trials many parents have faced. But I also don't believe that if he comes home after a night of drinking, getting busted for drugs, with a pregnant girlfriend, or some other stupid, bonehead mistake that I'll stop loving him.

Yes I will be angry, upset, hurt, and pretty ticked off. But he will be able to sense the love that I still have (and the anger). I will do my best to communicate my love and concern for his well-being but also my disdain for the sin that he has committed.  I'm not saying that we tolerate this continued behavior either, I'm talking his first big screw-up.  A continued breach of trust and ignoring instruction is a whole other story.

I know it's easier said than done, but that is the kind of love, the kind of compassion, the kind of passion, the kind of instruction and care that it will take to get children, friends, or strangers to turn away from a life of sin.  Someone we care about either has been or is likely in one of these categories:  sexually immoral, idolater, adulterer, homosexual, thief, greedy, drunkard, reviler, or swindler (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

We can't just scream and yell sin away, it has to be removed by love and confession.  If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9).  If our children admit their mistakes, we forgive them and continue to love them.  Why can't we allow others that same grace and compassion for their past transgressions?  Hasn't God shown us grace and mercy for ours?  I believe this is the closest we can come to truly loving the sinner and hating the sin.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2020 is Hindsight...Finally!

Wow, what a year! 2020 could literally be an entire decade, maybe more, of history, change, and lessons rolled up into these twelve months. While many aspects of 2020 were kind of sucky and we would like to forget them, it will certainly be a year to remember. And it will be enlightening when this year is looked back on in 10, 25, or 50 years to be discussed. I wonder if we'll seem like geniuses or idiots? Probably both to some extent! While there is so much that I could consider and analyze about this year, I'll try to break some of it down into four dimensions - Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Social/Emotional. These are events and happenings from my world and perspective and I'm trying to be open in sharing and would love to hear from others on events you found most transforming. Physical When COVID cause gyms to close, that messed me up. Our town and state were late to be hit with severe cases and therefore later than many across the country to close up shop. I'm n...
Post a Comment
Read more

Worship > Fellowship

I believe that worship, true worship of God, is more important than fellowship with other believers.  Now I'm not saying that fellowship and relationships aren't important.  But I am saying that if I'm not worshiping God, if I'm not right with him, then my other relationships can't be right.  My fellowship and worship with him is more important than my relationship with my wife, my son, family, friends, my church, and my community.  Think about it.  How can I love my wife like Christ loved the church if I don't love Christ?  I wouldn't know how to love without knowing him.  Why should she submit to me if I'm not worth submitting to?  And yes I do believes wives should submit, but I also believe that won't be an issue as long as she's submitting to a godly husband.  (Ephesians 5:22-25) Our love for others must flow from our love and worship of God.  1 John 4:19-21 reads, "We love because he first loved us.  If anyone says,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lessons in Prayer - 1 Timothy 2:1-8 - Our Attitudes

I'm still working through this same passage on prayer from 1 Timothy and I won't copy all the verses but you can read from the beginning to have a better understanding of the full passage. "...That we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior." - 1 Timothy 2:2b-3 Paul's plea for Timothy here is for the church to live peaceful and quiet lives.  So how do we do that?  Well the thought of peacefulness is a life that is free from internal disturbances or distractions.  We must first be at peace with ourselves before we can be at peace with others.  A quiet life is one that flows from being peaceful and is a life free from external disturbances and distractions.  Now this does not mean that the church is to just go along with whatever the world says in order to be peaceful.  We are not to waver on biblical truth period.  You won't find true Christian...
Post a Comment
Read more