A few days ago my daughter and I were hanging out, having a great time and then she asked for a juice. Now, what I did you may not understand. See, I know she, like any 4 year old, is struggling with getting over disappointment and accepting what mommy says. She also pretty much always gets her way. So, I told her "No" mostly to see how she would react, but also because it was close to bedtime. Of course, she was upset and didn't want to drink anything after that and ended up drinking a random water cup on the counter when I wasn't watching (oy ve). Now, I thought to myself that since God is our Father he will sometimes tell us "no" to see how we handle it. To test the strength of our character and obedience. I told my daughter no with the intention that she could have anything else plus whatever she wanted the next day or maybe something even better, but she didn't know or understand that. I think God does the same to us. It's not "no" when we hear it but, "not right now" or "I have something better for you." It's up to us not to act like a four year old, cry and refuse anything else only to end up drinking God knows what later when we could have had something much better.
Something else that I have been teaching her is that "it's not time". One night we had so much fun playing with playdough and her ponies that in the morning she wanted to play with her playdough again. I told her that it wasn't time for that and that it was time to brush her teeth. After a little back and forth I simply picked her up and took her to brush her teeth. We are often times like that with God. He will give us a task or instructions and we whine or even cry about wanting this at this time. I know as a parent when Kiwi does that I know for certain that I need to not give in because she is trying to choose her way over obedience. Sound familiar? If I let my daughter go around neglecting her obligations she would miss out on some vital things necessary for her to be happy and productive. If I always gave her juice before bed and she never wanted to brush her teeth she would develop cavities which could cause her pain and discomfort that she was never meant to have.
This mama doesn't want her sweet and precious baby with a toothache or worse, damaging her adult teeth. My own mom likened it to child labor. I have never had a toothache, but I definitely had a baby. Mouth labor? No thank you! Her daddy has had root canals, I will pass on that as well.
So, I have her do these things or deny some of her requests for her own good. No one enjoys disciplining their child,but it is absolutely necessary forth him or her to be happy (in God's case have joy) in life. Our Father isn't being harsh, he is simply doing what's best and keeping us from things that may hurt us much worse later on. He even tells us in Ecclesiastes 3 that there is a time for everything. God is preparing us for spiritual maturity with discipline (instruction) just like we prepare our children for adulthood.
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| Dress by The Handmaiden's Cottage |
Something else that I have been teaching her is that "it's not time". One night we had so much fun playing with playdough and her ponies that in the morning she wanted to play with her playdough again. I told her that it wasn't time for that and that it was time to brush her teeth. After a little back and forth I simply picked her up and took her to brush her teeth. We are often times like that with God. He will give us a task or instructions and we whine or even cry about wanting this at this time. I know as a parent when Kiwi does that I know for certain that I need to not give in because she is trying to choose her way over obedience. Sound familiar? If I let my daughter go around neglecting her obligations she would miss out on some vital things necessary for her to be happy and productive. If I always gave her juice before bed and she never wanted to brush her teeth she would develop cavities which could cause her pain and discomfort that she was never meant to have.
This mama doesn't want her sweet and precious baby with a toothache or worse, damaging her adult teeth. My own mom likened it to child labor. I have never had a toothache, but I definitely had a baby. Mouth labor? No thank you! Her daddy has had root canals, I will pass on that as well.
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Ecclesiastes 3 (NIV)
A Time for Everything
3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I
know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added
to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear
him.
15 Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.[b]
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.[b]
16 And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
17 I said to myself,
“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for ther e will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”
both the righteous and the wicked,
for ther e will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”
18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
If you really want to get into letting God be God you can watch this sermon from the Gathering Oasis. Click Here
