Happy Heart?
As Craig and I are growing in the Word. A thought has crossed my mind and then talking to a couple people the answer seems much clearer now!!
For a long time when we train our little ones we say “Show me your HAPPY HEART!” When we want to see them obeying “with a happy heart” or they have a pouty look on their faces... we say “show me your happy heart” they SMILE real big and we say good job!! It is great that they are complying but we think there is a better method now...
Well thinking through this more with lots of other mixed up thoughts that fly in and out of my brain throughout the day!!!!! I have been thinking a lot about something our discipleship counselor has taught us regarding our kids... He has asked us are we trying to make our kids sinless? Is our goal as we train them that they would sin no more? Well this really made me think because as their little minds and bodies continue at times to do the same stuff day in and day out that is sin... what is our goal... to get them to stop doing it, to just stop SINNING!!!! I have come to understand more clearly today and hopefully each day that NO my goal is not to have them stop sinning it is to teach them a few things:
God's will for us is that we be TRANSFORMED, HOW? By the renewing of our minds its that simple.......His desire is not that our children would stop sinning or look like a good Christian...to be fake on the outside with a happy heart, but that they would be transformed from the inside out. A transformed life because of HIM!!!
God loves them
And in return we LOVE him because He loved us
We obey God out of Love, out of reverence, awe for what He did in sending his son to die for us.
They obey Mommy and Daddy out of FEAR? No out of Love because they love us and desire to please us with their behavior, that hopefully will transfer to God some day.
What does this look like with a little one? Here's how it goes at my house.....
Jacob you sinned when you...........You need to confess that to God (teaching them to see their sin and turn from it)
“Sorry God I disobeyed you when I …....... (confession)
Jacob lets thank God that he has forgiven you.....
“God thank you that you died on the cross for me, thank you that you forgive me.........
Then walking in victory not defeat not shame, guilt or fear!!!! Teach them they are alive in Christ and no longer under the condemnation of SIN and DEATH!
The reason for this is to show him that he is not perfect and he needs JESUS to show him that the law brings death and he can never be right according to the law....but Jesus brings forgiveness and LIFE!!
Back to the original idea about a happy heart!! I believe that when I was telling my kids to have a happy heart its fonney, fake, Also I was teaching them to try to fix their sin in the flesh. Instead of pointing them back to Christ. I was teaching them to put on a happy face and not actually deal with the situation. So all that said now I will be teaching my children to have joy, whether they like the situation or the request they can choose to obey and have joy and also to be content with the situation. Super exciting for me when God shows me something I have been doing that was slightly off base.
Hope that was kinda clear... writing is not my gifting, talking instead HAHAHHA
Let me know your ideas and if you have more questions would be happy to talk!
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