Discipline...

The subject always comes up.  How?  When?  What?

When your kid is being a terror.  When he just won't do what you want him to.  When it's the battle of the wills and you seem to be on the losing end.

More often times than not, I find myself wanting out.  I don't want to have to take time out to explain, to teach, to undo what has been done.  When I walk in my flesh, I get angry and I discipline for everybody else except for the one it's truly for.

As the Lord grows me, I've asked that in everything I do, I point my kids to Jesus.  And by His great help, I'm learning.

Just as much as their unregenerate hearts need it, so my weary and thirsty heart desperately, constantly needs the gospel.

So yesterday, in Colten being overcome and telling me he just couldn't do it, that he knows he sins, he sins every day of his life, I got a beautiful opportunity to share the good news.  That yes! We are sinners.  Yes! We sin every day.  But in Christ, there is no condemnation!  When we have received salvation and believed in Jesus's name, God doesn't look on us with disgust and impatience.  He's not sitting high above us with his arms crossed asking, "When are you ever going to get this?"

Instead, He is next to us, saying, "I know and I love you anyways.  You are my beloved son."

So when I read the parenting how-to books and feel the weight of not measuring up start to burden me down, I have to realize that my way is not the only way and the person who wrote the fabulous book has great ideas but I don't have to conform to what they do.  The only thing I need to be concerned with is teaching my boys to love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind and strength and I do this as we walk, lay, rise, and sit.

Sometimes, I totally botch it.  I get impatient, lazy and angry.  But even in that, I get to remind them (and myself!) that I am nothing like God.  He is infintely more merciful, patient, gracious and loving and that he forgives, over and over.  That we will all fall short and most days finding me falling over and over again. 

Yet, because of His mercy, by confession and repentence, they see His grace covers even ugly un-graceful moments.  And I am reminded that it's not what I do or don't do, it's by what Jesus has all ready done.

Galatians 2:21 And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God for if righteousness were through the Law, then Christ died for no purpose.