Morning Devotionals
by Don Emmitte
 
February 16th, 2008

 

“Be the Parent (Part 2)”
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Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate and willful; he who guards himself will be far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:5-6 Amplified Bible).

 

I like it the way Solomon begins this little bit of wisdom in our reading. “Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate and willful.” Isn't that just another way of saying that when we deny there is a problem we are merely showing our stubborn willfulness. James says it another way in his epistle. He says that denial of our problems is like looking in the mirror and ignoring what you see that needs to be done. We see it; we just refuse to believe it. Tragically, so many parents have just become so weary in the “fight” that they have ignored the problem altogether.

 

So, the first step to becoming the parent God desires for you to be is to admit when there is a problem. For some of you, you are already saying, “No problem!” Is it really? I have seen on a number of occasions when a parent refuses to acknowledge the wrong behavior of a child a transfer of values. As in the example yesterday of the toddler who refuses to get into their car seat, declaring that they are “too tired.” We may pass that off as simply a part of the “terrible two's,” or whatever stage of development they are presently going through. The truth is that they are merely testing the limits of our willingness to continue being the parent. For those of you with teenagers, this is magnified exponentially.

 

So, begin today to acknowledge there really is a problem. Then pray that the Lord will empower you freshly so that you can take up the cause again. Ask God to remove the weariness that has settled into your soul. After all, isn't that Jesus' promise:

 

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT).