In God’s eyes
Well, the children are in the tourney season of baseball and softball. All-Stars have been chosen and are playing their games. Whenever I let one of the children out of the car to attend one of their games, I admonish them to be a good sport, not to be a heckler, or spoil sport, when things do not go their way. I also add a comment reminding them to behave as a young lady or young gentleman. My mother was always a good one to remind me that two wrongs never make a right. I know that children can get frustrated when they don’t play their best in sports, in school, or don’t get the lead in a play, Acting out on that frustration will never bring advancement in their personal character.
I am reminded of a story I heard once about a farmer who planted a lot of sweetcorn to give away to others. He had his boys out in the corn patch hoeing, and weeding all the time. His neighbor commented: why do you raise all that sweet corn, you don’t need it! The farmer’s response was short and sweet: I am not raising corn, I am raising boys! This particular farmer was teaching his boys how to work, how to do things right, and at the same time be a blessing to others.
Recently, we had to take down three huge oak trees in the yard that were killed by beetles. After getting appraisals on having them cut down, we discovered it was more economical to have them pushed over. The result was these huge trees fracturing into thousands of sticks. So for the past two weeks my son has been teaching his children how to work. Being the grandmother that I am, I worry it’s too hot, they are working too hard, or they are getting too close to the fire. In retrospect my children were doing chores or bailing hay in the heat, putting hay on a hay elevator, and learning to work hard at the same age.
Does that mean that every child should go out and play Paul Bunyan with an ax over shoulder, or a hoe? Of course not! The children need to be taught how to do the right thing, whether in word or in deed. In other words when I told my grandchildren to watch how they behaved and spoke. I was teaching them how to do right. When my son, and the farmer, were teaching their children to work, they were teaching them to obey, and to do the right thing.
I have heard the comment many times that children don’t come with instruction manuals. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Bible is a fountain of knowledge about successful children rearing. The trick is you have to open the book and read it to understand the instructions found within the pages. All in all we had a very successful baseball season, even if several times we melted down into our lawn chairs from the heat. I am proud of my grandchildren and their behavior because they learned to do what was right.
As parents we need to teach our children to do right, not in the eyes of others, but in the eyes of God. Many times in the Bible the Kings behavior would be listed as, whether they did or did not do right in the eyes of God, and were judged accordingly. It is important that we read the Word of God together with our children. They can’t know how to do what’s right if there’s not a rulebook. First and foremost, teach by example.
We as authors often choose our plots as an aftermath of something gone wrong. Our character struggles to overcome it, and to do what is right. Doing what is right is not always easy, and showing the struggle sweetens the reward of success, much like in our own lives.
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
James 4:17
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
I John 3:7
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Isaiah 1:17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Colossians 3:17