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Living Inside God's Circle of Blessing
On Sunday morning, my wife Brenda and I taught Sunday School together.  Here at Monona Oaks, we are going through the Desiring God Sunday School curriculum and teaching through the Ten Commandments this summer.  Brenda and I were in charge of teaching the 5th Commandment, honoring your father and mother.  Tedd Tripp, in his book Shepherding a Child's Heart, makes the great observation that as parents we are not seeking to shape our kids behavior, but shape our kids hearts.  We have no power to change our kids hearts, but we can use the transforming power of the Gospel to let God change our kids hearts.   The goal of parenting is to help our kids love God more deeply and help them understand the deep love of God.  Parents are placed by God in the line of authority between kids and God.  For a child to obey their parents, in turn they are also obeying God.  The 5th Commandment says that when kids obey, it goes well with them and they live inside the circle of God's blessing.  When kids disobey parents, they are also disobeying God and stepping outside the circle of God's blessing. It was helpful review for Brenda and I as parents to be reminded to bring parental obedience and discipline back to an issue of God's obedience.    "Mommy and Daddy want you to obey and God wants you to obey. Mommy and Daddy love you and God loves you."  As a parent, there is a great temptation for me to merely shape and control my kids behavior, without tying their behavior to the gospel.  Additionally, there is a great temptation to allow my kids to obey outwardly, when obviously inwardly, they are in rebellion.  Brenda and I get tired of disciplining our kids, but the book was a great wakeup call for us to act as spiritual shepherds of our kids hearts, mentioning God more intentionally in our discipline.  As John and Kendra in our old church used to tell us "Be the Parent!"  Tedd Tripp writes "As a parent, you have the authority (to discipline) because God calls you to be an authority in your child's life.  You have the authority to act on behalf of God.  As a father and mother, you do not exercise rule over your jurisdiction, but over God's.  You act at his command.  You discharge a duty that He has given.  You may not try to shape the lives of your children as pleases you, but as pleases him."  Wow!  These words are powerful and something we are seeking to more intentionally apply in the future.

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