Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Hypocritical Parenting

Lately parenting has been constantly on my mind. I don't always react to my children's ungodly behavior in a godly way, I find that I react more from a personal offense. I have been looking over Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp for encouragement and found plently of it along with conviction of my own sin. God has pointed out to me yet again that it starts with me, with my sin. How can I rebuke my children for the same sins that I seem to be continueing in day in and day out.

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Matthew 7:5

Can they see past my hypocricy? The cloud that overshadows all of my correction? Before I go to my son about his anger issues and lack of self control need I check my own heart? For I know what the Lord says:

Be angry and do not sin, Psalm 4:4

But how does that play out in the heart and mind of my child if I unrighteously become angry with him for his sin of anger and then preach against the very thing I practice?

For they preach, but they do not practice. Matthew 23:3b


This idea of hypocritical parenting will not bring about the righteousness of God! A discpline that is routed in anger only feeds the flesh of both the child and the parent and the hypocricy that follows slowly destroys the righteousness of God.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Praise, God that my children's salvation is not left solely up to me for I fear that I would surely lead them astray but it is the grace of God that leads them. All I can do is pray and ask that He teach me His ways and enable me to walk down them.

2 comments:

In Light of the Truth... said...

Thank you for this and the verses! I've been feeling the same thing lately, especially as I'm finishing the last 5 chapters of Shepherding a Child's Heart. I have my own anger/temper issues yet I am quick to correct my son when I see something in him. Ahh, so much work to do, in ME!

Esmeralda said...

Kelli thank you so much for this post. It came very timely.

I've been blaming someone I had a disagreement with for just over 6months. Whilst I was aware I had a part to play in the disagreement, in my head, the other person's part was much larger. Conveniently. So I always felt justified to point the finger. Until this week. Slowly and slowly, God was working. On monday, I did my last attack of finger pointing, but was immediately convicted. I think it was the next day I read your blog and I felt it confirmed more of the work God had already started. I have since confessed my hypocrisy too. The word mercy really helped me. Not receiving the punishment we're rightly due. That's how God treats us, and that's how we are to treat others.

Thank you for being part of God's instrument in freeing me from being locked into that sin!

Much love!

Liz xx