In part 2 (1 Nov) of our theme, we completed our DO-list from Heb 12:4-7. Please note that, while I am applying the examples to help our children, it could be in same manner used for any person, young or old, who needs help in these aspects. And that, I would think, includes most of us!
2. Let’s see how a corresponding DON’T- list may look like :
2.1 don’t focus on worries and fears coming from rough circumstances and own insights etc.
Bring them to the cross of Christ and throw them on His shoulders, where they can die in Him.
Don't forget to look to and focus on Jesus all the time.
Our children also have worries and fears. Don't leave them alone in these! Help them name it, and face it, and work through it.
Jesus is always bigger and stronger than our worries and fears, but how will they know if we don't show them the way? Take his Word and its truths, focus on them, memorize them with your children, and use them as weapons to overcome these deadly enemies.
Bring them to the cross of Christ and throw them on His shoulders, where they can die in Him.
Don't forget to look to and focus on Jesus all the time.
Our children also have worries and fears. Don't leave them alone in these! Help them name it, and face it, and work through it.
Jesus is always bigger and stronger than our worries and fears, but how will they know if we don't show them the way? Take his Word and its truths, focus on them, memorize them with your children, and use them as weapons to overcome these deadly enemies.
2.2 don’t cling to sinful behavior and comfort zones.
things that are extraordinary precious to our hearts.
View them in the light of God's Word, go to the cross, stop clinging, and let go... repent...
Don't love anything that separates from Jesus. Love intimacy with Him more!
Our children can understand these concepts well in an early age.But they must be explained and taught.
We must also help them to regard what they possess and love, as things that actually belong to God. He lends it to them, to look after and enjoy - but not móre than Him, who may give and take as He pleases.
They must learn to see themselves as good stewards of these things, looking after it for Him. But when they realize that they grow too attached, they must learn to let go, to detach their heart's desire and love.
This is a fight, to let go and let Jesus have the most important place in our lives. Don't we experience it ourselves?
Yet we shouldn't protect them from practicing and experiencing this fight. When they've grown into adults, it will be a thousand times more difficult to start taming this wild heart which produces idols quicker than a machine could. Be careful, when you see your child totally absorbed, mentally and practically, in something, to put on these spiritual brakes with understanding and wisdom, helping him/her through this fight. You will never regret it when he comes to a phase where he could choose against peer pressure of cherished friends to rather stand alone and guard his honor and christian witness (the issue here, I choose Jesus first);
or will he for instance let go of financial gain which could only come through dishonest means (the issue being: do I love the money more, or the honesty?);
or when he as a believer in Jesus Christ, would not pursue an unbeliever he falls in love with, as a marriage partner, and rather trust Him to supply a godly helpmeet (the issue?: I love Jesus móre, even when it hurts badly);
or what will the option be under persecution, if we fail these primary tests?
Add your relevant examples, and start with your child today.
2.3 don’t expect an easy walk : something like a christian picnic site or entertainment cruise or old
age home, to passively enjoy your life without problems or strain or a fight of thoughts, faith and
endurance.
We set ourselves up for big disappointments and failures through our expectations. Let's be wise and thoughtful of our expectations and help our children work through theirs, and their disappointments, with the truth and with self-control. This too, should be practiced actively!
age home, to passively enjoy your life without problems or strain or a fight of thoughts, faith and
endurance.
We set ourselves up for big disappointments and failures through our expectations. Let's be wise and thoughtful of our expectations and help our children work through theirs, and their disappointments, with the truth and with self-control. This too, should be practiced actively!
2.4 don’t rely on your-SELF and other people who can fail you - that will cause you
fainthearted for this battle. We haven’t got enough reserves and strength in ourselves for this
spiritual war. We need the power and assistance of the Holy Spirit, which is available as we
belong and look to Jesus.
Introduce your child to the triune God. He needs to know the real God and that is who He is : three in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What a glorious God to be in union with and have a relationship with! And to be able to rely on. We need nothing more, and nothing less, as do our children.
fainthearted for this battle. We haven’t got enough reserves and strength in ourselves for this
spiritual war. We need the power and assistance of the Holy Spirit, which is available as we
belong and look to Jesus.
Introduce your child to the triune God. He needs to know the real God and that is who He is : three in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What a glorious God to be in union with and have a relationship with! And to be able to rely on. We need nothing more, and nothing less, as do our children.
2.5 don’t wait for the right 'feelings' in the struggle to conquer sin and temptation to passiveness – resist even in cold blood.
What does 'cold blood' mean? It means to not have even the slightest feeling of warmth or willingness towards this action, to not even want to get actively involved in the battle. Thus it means that you resist in any case, even while wanting to stay passive, just hoping for the best...
How? You turn to Jesus for the will and the strength and the endurance, because you know that is the
right thing to do, and you think about your battle strategies en draw on all the knowledge and
experience you have already accumulated in the past.
That is what we expect of our children, don't we? When we want them to obey, we don't ask whether
they 'feel' like doing it. They have to practice doing it even against what they feel like. That is a cold-
blood-action. Exactly like the son in the parable who, when the father bid him to go and work in his
vineyard, wouldn't go, yet he changed his mind, regardless of the feelings!, and went.(Math
21:28,29)
What does 'cold blood' mean? It means to not have even the slightest feeling of warmth or willingness towards this action, to not even want to get actively involved in the battle. Thus it means that you resist in any case, even while wanting to stay passive, just hoping for the best...
How? You turn to Jesus for the will and the strength and the endurance, because you know that is the
right thing to do, and you think about your battle strategies en draw on all the knowledge and
experience you have already accumulated in the past.
That is what we expect of our children, don't we? When we want them to obey, we don't ask whether
they 'feel' like doing it. They have to practice doing it even against what they feel like. That is a cold-
blood-action. Exactly like the son in the parable who, when the father bid him to go and work in his
vineyard, wouldn't go, yet he changed his mind, regardless of the feelings!, and went.(Math
21:28,29)
2.6 don’t underestimate the discipline
When the going gets tough, we can rely heavily on God and His mighty, immeasurable storehouse. Time and again we run to our rescue there, and never have I seen Him failing his faltering child.
Even when His hand of discipline weighs heavily on our lives, when we lay there like slain victims, He could keep us there until we learn to stop the murmuring and groaning and proud rebellion against Him. But He will come through, and that for our good as well.
We need to remember this in the discipline of our children as well. It is GOOD for them. Let them
know and understand and experience it, and don't rob them of what is good for them.
What is a big problem here when it comes to our children?
We want to save them from hardships.
We want to intervene and take their challenges on our
shoulders and not prepare or practice them for battle.
We even sometimes want to spoil them. Spoil means 'rotten', unusable, suitable for the rubbish bin...
Really that bad?!
Yes, that bad.
Please, don't spoil your children! Help them to be fighting fit against anything and everything that can
make them 'suitable for rottenness', and that brings division between them and Jesus. This is the
ultimate purpose of discipline - to unite us more closely, intimately, with Jesus.
Let us therefore walk the way ourselves, then
show them the way, and
teach them how to walk the way themselves.
In conclusion:
When the going gets tough, we can rely heavily on God and His mighty, immeasurable storehouse. Time and again we run to our rescue there, and never have I seen Him failing his faltering child.
Even when His hand of discipline weighs heavily on our lives, when we lay there like slain victims, He could keep us there until we learn to stop the murmuring and groaning and proud rebellion against Him. But He will come through, and that for our good as well.
We need to remember this in the discipline of our children as well. It is GOOD for them. Let them
know and understand and experience it, and don't rob them of what is good for them.
What is a big problem here when it comes to our children?
We want to save them from hardships.
We want to intervene and take their challenges on our
shoulders and not prepare or practice them for battle.
We even sometimes want to spoil them. Spoil means 'rotten', unusable, suitable for the rubbish bin...
Really that bad?!
Yes, that bad.
Please, don't spoil your children! Help them to be fighting fit against anything and everything that can
make them 'suitable for rottenness', and that brings division between them and Jesus. This is the
ultimate purpose of discipline - to unite us more closely, intimately, with Jesus.
Let us therefore walk the way ourselves, then
show them the way, and
teach them how to walk the way themselves.
In conclusion:
Paul appeals to us to think about the following matters : whatever things are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, of good report, or worthy of praise. (Php 4:8)
Consider also Col 3:2 and 2 Thes 3:5 : Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth, and on the love of God, and on the patience of Christ.
This practice demands exactly what the word says : practice it! Stop the thoughts that have brought you to your knees up till now, throw them out and replace them with thoughts about what is true etc. How many times have we set our thoughts 'on the patience of Christ'? Do you think a lot about it? There is no way that this comes naturally to anyone, much less to a child who is not knowledgeable , or trained, to do so. Our natural inclination is to think much more 'about the things upon the earth'.
Let me challenge you as I do with myself : cultivate an active mind to combat passivity in your thoughts and corresponding behavior, using the directives of the Bible, the sharp, two-edged Sword of the Spirit, as your tool. And then teach your children to do the same, or help others with it.
Consider also Col 3:2 and 2 Thes 3:5 : Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth, and on the love of God, and on the patience of Christ.
This practice demands exactly what the word says : practice it! Stop the thoughts that have brought you to your knees up till now, throw them out and replace them with thoughts about what is true etc. How many times have we set our thoughts 'on the patience of Christ'? Do you think a lot about it? There is no way that this comes naturally to anyone, much less to a child who is not knowledgeable , or trained, to do so. Our natural inclination is to think much more 'about the things upon the earth'.
Let me challenge you as I do with myself : cultivate an active mind to combat passivity in your thoughts and corresponding behavior, using the directives of the Bible, the sharp, two-edged Sword of the Spirit, as your tool. And then teach your children to do the same, or help others with it.
Is there a better motivation, other than that this active fight will help myself and my children/others tremendously to come through the challenges of life?
I think so.
Jesus shouldn't be robbed of the magnificence of His glory in the image of Himself in me. I am, after all, His child, redeemed at such a high cost!
How sad that this normally doesn't bother us a lot. We should weep if Jesus isn't glorified in us and in our children. Instead, how many tears do we rather shed for our own sake – passively waiting to be helped and healed in our own way?
Jesus shouldn't be robbed of the magnificence of His glory in the image of Himself in me. I am, after all, His child, redeemed at such a high cost!
How sad that this normally doesn't bother us a lot. We should weep if Jesus isn't glorified in us and in our children. Instead, how many tears do we rather shed for our own sake – passively waiting to be helped and healed in our own way?
May we motivate each other to develop a deep love for these truths.
They have got an unfailing power to introduce us more and more
* to Jesus; and
* to a life of vibrant love for and joy in Him; and
* to a proper response to His call to follow in His footsteps,
* not only in service to Him and to others,
* but also, and even, in suffering, understanding that without suffering, there is and will be no glory for Him in our lives.
They have got an unfailing power to introduce us more and more
* to Jesus; and
* to a life of vibrant love for and joy in Him; and
* to a proper response to His call to follow in His footsteps,
* not only in service to Him and to others,
* but also, and even, in suffering, understanding that without suffering, there is and will be no glory for Him in our lives.
We cannot pass on to the next generations what we don't have.
They need these truths as well as their applications as much as we do. So we have to gét what they need, and give it to them.
Do we have some homework to do, or not??
PS : I would love my niece, Mariëtte, to respond to this short series by telling us whát she did with her children to steer them safely through numerous land mines, showing them the way to Jesus and to submission to His ways. Tell us hów you did it, too, and what the results were.
Our younger mothers need encouragement, and the faith to know that the Bible has got every practical instruction and possibility of application to save us and our children from the perils of this age.
Send me an e-mail, if you would, and I'll paste it as a post(s), in Afrikaans or English. I will translate, if there seems to be a need.
They need these truths as well as their applications as much as we do. So we have to gét what they need, and give it to them.
Do we have some homework to do, or not??
PS : I would love my niece, Mariëtte, to respond to this short series by telling us whát she did with her children to steer them safely through numerous land mines, showing them the way to Jesus and to submission to His ways. Tell us hów you did it, too, and what the results were.
Our younger mothers need encouragement, and the faith to know that the Bible has got every practical instruction and possibility of application to save us and our children from the perils of this age.
Send me an e-mail, if you would, and I'll paste it as a post(s), in Afrikaans or English. I will translate, if there seems to be a need.
