I thought of something else from the conference that really impacted me, so I thought I would share it. I was given the opportunity to pray at work the other day and this concept made it's way into my thoughts and out of my mouth as I prayed. I also thought of it again today as I needed to discipline one of my girls for doing something she knew to be wrong....and then we had a long conversation about how it is not always about our actions, but it is about our heart.
The statement at the conference was something along these lines, "God does not just turn bad into good...He brings the dead to life" That's way more powerful, right!? And, with that in mind, there is no situation that is hopeless. Praise God for that! The thing we need to be careful with in raising our children is that we do not just make Christianity out to be about bad and good behavior....I am guilty of pointing out behaviors that are not Christlike with my kids and usually my discipline involves the punishment for the behavior and is very light on the teachable moment to help them become disciplined followers of Christ. I have been trying to be less reactionary toward the behavior itself and more intentional to follow-up after the moment of frustration has subsided and the punishment/consequence has been delivered with conversations with the girls that lead them in making righteous choices and/or a proper way to make amends for something they did. I'm trying to reinforce with them that we will make righteous decisions and we will make sinful choices throughout our lives, but God loves us regardless of our actions. Our responsibility is to know Him as our Savior and Lord and to learn to identify the moments we are being tempted and flee from the temptation, to put God's Word in our heart because it is like armor for us to be protected from Satan, to pray for strength when we feel weak, and to be quick to ask for forgiveness when we have wronged another...of that person and of God. Anyway, that is one practical way I am working to represent a God who is not just a God of good behavior, but who brings dead things life.
Another thing Brad and I started after we returned home from the conference was saying a blessing as well as a prayer over our girls at night before they fall asleep. This may sound really cheesy, but Brad got this app on his phone at the conference called faith@home and it is filled with Bible promises, blessings, and scripture verses you can pray over your children and one really fun thing for them is that you have to shake the phone for a new one to appear....they LOVE it! It really is so delightful that they love it so much....It is kind-of like those crazy magic 8 balls, but better because it is God's Word that appears :) Here's a link to the app if you want it...http://www.faithathome.com/faithhome-prayer-app/
Why this is important....I want them to fall in love with the God that saved them and not to feel as though they can never measure up and, eventually, give up on their faith. While it is important that there is evidence of their salvation through their works and actions...I want them to know a God who brings dead things to life....who will forgive them...who will restore them.....no matter how many times they fail. I want them to love Him completely, so they will desire to give the life He gives them back to Him.
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