“Parents naturally want to do things for their child, but if they never help their child learn to become mature and independent, the child will be lazy, bored, and remain in a selfish state of dependence on their parents–hardly what any parent really wants for their child. The only way a child develops the character trait of responsibility is by having someone give it to him”–Mark Gregston, Tough Guys and Drama Queens: How Not to Get Blindsided by Your Child’s Teen Years, 33.
“. . . The area of feelings is, I suspect, the most likely place of defeat for those sincerely seeking to follow Christ today. Satan uses feelings to captivate us today by making them more important to our life than they really are, as well as by inducing much false guilt about what we do and do not feel. Nowhere is this more obvious than in marriage and divorce as now practiced (or mis-practiced). But at all stages of adult life, feelings are among Satan’s primary instrument. They are used to devastate the soul in the processes of aging, sickness, and death among Christians and nonChristians alike. This need not be the case. Appropriate spiritual formation in Christ will prevent it. We must understand how love, joy, and peace can be our portion in every state of life and can lead us into a radiant eternity with God”–Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ, 138-9.
“Whoever twists the word of God is not serviceable to Him. We should elevate our experience to meet God’s word instead of lowering His truth to suit our experience. How people try to alter God’s truth instead of changing their own behavior! For example, one who is impatient, frequently losing his temper, will insist that his temper is acceptable but that trying to be patient is hypocritical and false; so why should he restrain his temper? This is lowering the standard of God’s truth to fit in with his behavior”–Watchman Nee, Spiritual Discernment, 64.
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One Response
We all interpret the messages we receive out of our own experience. It is all we have. That is why Romans 12:1-3 is so important in changing our perspective, ability to grasp both meaning and Purpose.
The following is part of a letter I wrote to a young girl who is beginning to become a young lady. She (as most females at this time of life speaking as a father, grandparent and one who has studied adolescent psychology) is having to deal with many normal changes. However, in the case of a broken home, when a child feels abandoned by a parent, those normal changes are a time for “feelings” to run amuck. The steady hand of Love is imperative. My letter is offered as a practical application, which I pray builds on your recent offerings to your Blog readers.
Thank you Dr. Bailey!
Dear…,
No child thinks life is fair. Guess what?
Most adults (if you can call us that) don’t think it is fair either.
People love you and care for you.
They all think (and I do too) you are worth extra effort.
But guess what? You can lay in bed in the morning and imagine or dream yourself dressed and ready for school. When Mom’s ready to go, will you be ready?
That’s right. You have to do your part. That is part of growing up. Deciding what you need to do and then doing it, regardless of how you feel or what you feel like doing. If you make good choices now. If you show respect to your family who love you now, you will be on your way to growing up in ways that count. Because love is not just words, it is what someone does.
I think you know all this. But sometimes it helps to be reminded just how Blessed we are.
Don’t think about what you don’t have. Think about what you do have. You may find that what you have is far more valuable than you realized. Growing up has little to do with age or smarts. It doesn’t happen automatically. It is a choice. Success is not an accident.
Think about the life of Dr. Carson when you play the message below, before he was a Doctor, when he was your age.
Bless you,
Mr. Fred
Click on the web site below and check the volume setting on your computer.
Subject: Worth time listening and watching, an encouragement & challenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFb6NU1giRA&feature=youtu.be
Dr. Benjamin Carson’s Amazing Speech at the National Prayer Breakfast.
Blessings