On last night as I was picking up my lads from ‘fun with friends’ in Russiaville, I was listening to a radio show called ‘Fanning the Flame with Pastor Dave Engbrecht’ of Nappanee, IN.  He was teaching on the very thing that I’d shared with a dear mother on yesterday afternoon about parenting.  During my morning meditation, I was recalling many of the valuable words of nourishment that he was imparting.  It just now came to me that some parents have a tendency to bully, oppress, their children into doing things that will make them (the parent) happy.  They will often develop a rod of control and deem it to BE a rod of correction.  We good parents desire what is best for our sons and daughters.  And that desire, at times, is capable of leading us to imprisoning the fruit of our wombs unaware.  Protection!  We want to protect them from decisions that will lead to unwarranted impoverishment and ineptness in life.

However, we can’t protect them by controlling them.  SELAH!

I recall the numerous times that I’ve laid this before my own lads, “You have choices.  You can do this thing or you can do that thing.  If you disobey these are the rewards; if you obey these are the rewards.  Now, you choose which reward you want.”  Sometimes, just sometimes, they choose a reward they really don’t want (they disobey), but I have to BE the maturing parent and continue teaching them as they grow.  This doesn’t mean that I don’t or won’t get frustrated or upset.  I do!  Nonetheless, as I grow up with my lads I mature in my parenting methods.  So must we all!  We can’t expect our young adult children to respond well to us if we are still parenting them as if they were adolescents…in both age and mind.  SELAH!

If we do not improve (mature), we ultimately drive a wedge between us, and we create a contentious relationship.  You know, that’s just like the enemy of evil to come in and create breaks of discord to ascend and live.  However, we who are parents IN the LORD are the ones whom the children are commanded to obey.  Then, they are commanded to obey parents in all things because it is pleasing to the LORD.  Their obedience is for the LORD’s satisfaction not ours.  SELAH!  Thus, when they disobey we have to LET the way of the LORD discipline them through us, not us disciplining them because we are dissatisfied of their turning away.

In my April 28, 2015 journal, I beseeched parents to repent.  As I’ve said it then, I say it again, parents we have to repent!  Repent for our lack of understanding; repent for ruling with the rod of control (our emotions) and not with the rod of correction as the scripture have taught us.  LET us turn from provoking our children to wrath.  LET us not incarcerate our sons and daughters for the fault of their ways while in training.  Imagine if our parents would have held us captive and not let us live?  We all have gotten an “F” in something, yet we all have had the opportunities to make good that grade.  LET us love our sons and daughters like YAH loves us; giving them the same opportunity to make good the grade.  He loves us so that He saw us polluted in our blood (our sins, our own righteousness, which is as filthy rags), and He commanded us to live.

Parents LET us do our part! 

And even if our children make the choice to not do their part,we must propel in parenting IN the LORD.

© 2015 Angela M. Smith