Last night I stumbled upon THIS LIST of ten things to remember when your child is disobedient. Many of them were convicting, some were reassuring, but one of them hit me right in the gut.
His [the Lord's] kindness leads us to repentance.
I have come to realize that there is something within all of us that instantly resists an angry or irritated person. Think of if a boss or supervisor came up to us and started yelling at us about something we did, or even if our husbands came up to us and started getting all frustrated. We tend to get defensive, build up walls, and get angry right back, thereby learning nothing and taking nothing to heart.
However, when someone approaches us in true love, humility, and compassion, we tend to listen more. At least for me I can say that the gentle and compassionate correction turns my heart more than the angry irritated correction. Do you see why this hit me so hard?
Which leads me to Galatians chapter 5:
Some fruits that I need to cultivate include longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, and temperance, especially toward my children.
In contrast, wrath is defined as a work of the flesh, and a sin. I am sinning each time I give way to wrath or anger. I need forgiveness. I must seek repentance, and how the Lord can be so kind, forgiving, and accepting of me even in my sin, I will never know.
His kindness leads me to true repentance. His salvation which holds only one condition, to believe, humbles me in heart and brings me to tears. How can the Creator of the world, and the maker of everything, be so kind to me when I constantly disappoint Him, even after He died as the price for my filthy sin?
Thank God for Grace and Mercy Undeserved.
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