TEMPTATIONS {in Parenting}

"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful;

nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of

righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

~ Hebrews 12:11

When my two oldest daughters were younger, I had this verse taped up in the room where I would bring them for correction. It was not for them. It was for me.

I would get tired of being consistent. Tired of disciplining. I would want to "look the other way" and let things go. But when I considered the various promises of God~ including the fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained~ God's Word would give me the fortitude to press on.






In response to my previous post, "We're working on that..." I got the sense that several moms of young children were feeling the pressure of parenting in front of others or in desiring to have "arrived" in the area of child training.


Let me encourage you. I have never met a diligent, Christian mom who didn't feel the same way in this season.

We all want to have "arrived" or to give up! This is your hardest season. I should say, if we are consistent now this should be our hardest season. As our children are trained, life really does get easier. If things have gone correctly~ we have been consistent in correction and developed heart strings with our children~ our discipline should lessen to the point that you may not discipline for years!



OUR BIGGEST TEMPTATIONS


I think as parents we are tempted to two things that are bad news for us and our young charges:


1) To "credit card" parent~ to always put off training, correcting, discipline or developing relationship for a later time. To neglect these areas because we don't feel like it, we don't have time etc. As I write this, I am feeling convicted about failing in this area myself as of late.

and

2) To parent in front of others. This never turns out well. I would like to encourage you that you are parenting for an audience of One. Do not parent for or in front of anyone else. You will loose ground. To either excuse yourself or say, "We're working on that" is fine.


As I mentioned, I struggle with this too. I have to remind myself that I really don't want to credit card parent, because I don't want to pay when they are older. I want to enjoy the blessing that God intended.

"And let us not be weary in well doing:

for in due season we shall reap,

if we faint not"

~Galatians 6:9