Patience...it's a word that I'm becoming very familiar with lately. And it's not as if I woke one morning very spiritual and decided that I should start my journey with the Father about learing it either. No more realistically, it was that I have been thrust into this just by being alive and having three children living under my roof, all of whom have entered into that season of life known as the teenage years. (truth be told, my youngest is not quite 12, but is a teenager in every aspect except the actual number of years)
Now don't get me wrong, I love my children and would gladly give my life for each and every one of them. (please don't tell them that, they may take me up on it) It just seems that the more I try to teach them, the more that I realize where the poser is in me. You know the poser, that part of each of us that acts like we have it all together, when in actuality we are just hoping that no one finds out we don't, and exposes us. We all have one, and that is the part of us that we are told to die to daily.
I find that the more I correct my children in the every day aspects of life, the more correction that I need in myself. Maybe when discipling takes place, this is what parents mean when they tell their children, "This is going to hurt me a whole lot more than it will you." I know that as I'm instrucing my children in the ways that they should go, it seems that my Heavenly Father is instructing me as well.
This has brought one area of patience to my life...and that is to be more patient with my children. I have been thinking alot about how the Father corrects me, and how that makes me feel. You see when God corrects us, what He has in mind is our best interests. He wants the best for us, so when we are in an area that is in need of correction, whatever He does He is doing for our benefit.
What that has taught me, is to ask myself, "What is this going to do to my sons or daughter when I correct them?" Will the correction bring, understanding and peace, or will it bring judgement and division? God has never once corrected me and I felt like I was ever being judged for my actions. On the contrary, what I have always felt was that I was loved after it was over. Now, in all honesty I can't always say that my children would answer that way concerning me when I correct them.
I know that on more than one occasion I've been the judgemental jerk who used his tongue to lash them till they were beaten down. (something I'm not proud of, and have made ammends to each of my children for as well) What I have learned is that whenever I verbally attack my kids like that, it is almost as if I'm agreeing with the enemy about what he is telling them already. Now how is that for a Christian father? Aligning myself with the enemy of my children, all in the name of bringing them up into a better walk with Christ.
The enemy would like nothing better than for us to help him with his game. I have had to see that for what it's worth, repent of ever doing that to my children and break the agreements that I've made with the enemy over my children and then make new agreements with the Father about them. You make agreements with the Father by saying what His Word says about your kids. And we need to do that, where they can actually hear it....include them in our time of prayer as often as possible, and with teenagers it can get tough to find the time.
The one thing that I will say about having 3 teenagers in the house, is that I never lack for the opportunity to learn about patience. No matter what is going on, I always make time for my kids to tell me about their day and then speak positive things into their hearts. They have after all been entrusted to me by the Father, and that is a huge responsibility that I don't take lightly. Dads, love your kids and show them often....before you know it they will be leaving the house and you'll be wishing you had the opportunity to tell them more....strength and honor.....
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