Sin Nature and Being a Parent
Yesterday was a crazy crazy day. I got up and we went to Sunday School/Worship at Hempfield COB. Then we left and went to my Brothers house for a picnic. Following that we dropped in on a party for a couple from HCOB who have been married 50 years and are like grandparents to Kaiden and Trinity. Then we went to Core Group, and ended at home by making dinner for tonight's dinner with Jonny and Jenny Baker (hope to blog about this experience tomorrow before I leave for Creation)
Anyway during our time at my brother's Kaiden was playing with a portable game unit of a boy that my brother is currently watching (a pseudo nephew if you will) and went up on a balcony area. He looked down at us, and at the game unit and then proceeded to throw the game unit onto the ground. It hit some rocks and bounced, and the screen was cracked. I asked him what he was thinking, and he had no good answer. So we told him that he will be paying for a new one for Kayne. Well that didn't go over so good. He said he was sorry...not for breaking it, but that he had to use his money.
As I have reflected back on that experience, I realize that the sin nature is with us from birth. Now Kaiden is 5 and I have seen the sin nature but it was very evident yesterday. But I also realized something else, that I do the same thing as a child of my heavenly father. I take something that I've been blessed with, and use it in a different way than was intended, and I end up "breaking it". Kaiden took something that he was blessed to play with, and used it as a baseball, and then broke it. I take my gifts, talents, etc... use them to benefit me, and don't give praise to God for those blessings. I take something that was created to be holy and pure, defile it, and break God's original intention, which was perfect, and then it doesn't work like it once did.
But something else I realized as I was standing there fuming and upset with Kaiden. While part of me wanted to strangle him, a bigger part of me wanted to hug him and tell him that I still love him. And it dawned on me, when I take what was originally meant for good, twist it, distort it, and sin, God still is there loving and caring about me. That doesn't mean that punishment doesn't come with the love, but that through the punishment God still loves me and wants the best for me.
That's how I spent my father's day.....being frustrated with my son, but loving him still and being aware of my own sin nature and God's never failing love for me.
Anyway during our time at my brother's Kaiden was playing with a portable game unit of a boy that my brother is currently watching (a pseudo nephew if you will) and went up on a balcony area. He looked down at us, and at the game unit and then proceeded to throw the game unit onto the ground. It hit some rocks and bounced, and the screen was cracked. I asked him what he was thinking, and he had no good answer. So we told him that he will be paying for a new one for Kayne. Well that didn't go over so good. He said he was sorry...not for breaking it, but that he had to use his money.
As I have reflected back on that experience, I realize that the sin nature is with us from birth. Now Kaiden is 5 and I have seen the sin nature but it was very evident yesterday. But I also realized something else, that I do the same thing as a child of my heavenly father. I take something that I've been blessed with, and use it in a different way than was intended, and I end up "breaking it". Kaiden took something that he was blessed to play with, and used it as a baseball, and then broke it. I take my gifts, talents, etc... use them to benefit me, and don't give praise to God for those blessings. I take something that was created to be holy and pure, defile it, and break God's original intention, which was perfect, and then it doesn't work like it once did.
But something else I realized as I was standing there fuming and upset with Kaiden. While part of me wanted to strangle him, a bigger part of me wanted to hug him and tell him that I still love him. And it dawned on me, when I take what was originally meant for good, twist it, distort it, and sin, God still is there loving and caring about me. That doesn't mean that punishment doesn't come with the love, but that through the punishment God still loves me and wants the best for me.
That's how I spent my father's day.....being frustrated with my son, but loving him still and being aware of my own sin nature and God's never failing love for me.
posted by Ryan at 2:11 PM
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