As an actively homeschooling mom, I am a bit more cognizant of good teaching moments and more determined to make the most of these precious opportunities.
I had an interesting conversation with our six-year-old son one morning and a teaching opportunity that my conscience just wouldn't allow me to pass up.
I overheard him yelling at our seven-year-old daughter that God protects him when he swallows fluoride toothpaste, after she attempted to advise him to stop doing that.
I explained to him that mistakes are when God protects us the most. We also have a mercy (or grace) period for foolishness. However, continual disobedience eventually overrides that grace period and leads to irreversible consequences.
I asked him, barring the grace of God, if I keep walking around inside the main highway street on purpose - not by mistake - while vehicles are coming on fast and not stopping, what he thinks would happen.
He answered that I would get hit. I gave him a few similar examples, and he started crying.
[It's a big deal that he started crying because this is the same child that, at the age of four, told me "that doesn't hurt" when I swatted him on the butt one time.]
I think he gets it now. Yeah! And, what's even better, is that I didn't need to spank him with the rod to drive home the seriousness of this topic. I certainly prefer this type of discipline much more, though I use spankings, as needed, at times, as well -- especially for our three-year-old daughter. [I wrote an article about what the scriptures say about disciplining children in one of the prior blog posts, as well.]
Now I just need to make sure that I am living my own advice and God's Word in this arena, as well, according to:
Romans 6:15-16 (Amplified Bible)
What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God's favor and mercy? Certainly not! Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?
Donna Johnson
http://www.UnderstandJesus
Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible
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Used by permission.
