You've seen him.
You've seen the child that whines for some candy in the check-out line. The mother ignores him at first. The child's whines get louder and turn into begging. The mother tries to reason with him. Now the whining turn into screaming, getting louder and louder. The mother tries to hush the child, but to no avail. Finally, she gives in, and everyone is happy.
The next time, she will probably give him the candy the first time he asks. Her explanation? "I love my child, and I can afford to give him whatever he wants."
This child will probably start filling the shopping cart with whatever foods he chooses, no matter the nutrition value or cost. The mother's explanation? "I love him and want him to know I respect his opinions and desires."
What's wrong with this?
Is it wrong to love our children?
This isn't love. This is letting the child rule the home.
The adult is the parent. The adult has the experience to know what are good choices and bad choices. It is the adult's job to make boundries, to teach the child to submit to authority. That's love.
It is love to say "No" sometimes.
When a child learns this and trusts his parents' decsions,
he becomes happy and content.
Carrying this to the spiritual aspect, do we whine to our Heavenly Father when things don't go the way we want? When we learn to trust the boundries and plans of our Lord, we will be content with whatever He chooses for us.
1 comment:
Very wise words.
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