Moses learned to crawl when he was about nine months old. This new ability opened up a whole new world of interesting things to explore...and a whole new world of "no's."
In our hallway, we have a small nightlight plugged into the wall. A few times I had caught Moses touching it, or about to touch it, so I told him "no" the first time, and then each subsequent time combined the "no" with some...hmm...gentle convincing that it was in his best interest to resist the temptation the next time.
One day I sat in the doorway between our living room and dining room, in clear view of the plug, watching Moses crawl around. He crept closer to the night light then slowly reached out a small, chubby finger to the forbidden object. Firmly, I said, "Moses, no."
He jumped as violently as if he had been shocked by the light and whirled around to face me. I suppressed a smile, realizing that he hadn't known I could see him. Plastered on his face was a look that has become a classic for him, one of complete (feigned) innocence, as if he were saying very emphatically, "Who, me?"
CJ, too, has long demonstrated that he clearly knows the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
Before I discipline him, I always ask him why he is being disciplined, and he always has an answer. Lately, he has gotten creative in answering--he acts out what he has done wrong, including sound effects. "I do dis...and dis...and I run 'way..." he says, as he twists and turns, using sweeping hand motions and even running across the room. Again, I have to hide a smile and resist the urge to join in his game of charades, and instead tell him, "CJ, use words."
God has given humans, His image-bearers, even very tiny humans, the ability to know what is right and what is wrong.
But knowing what is right is vastly different from doing what is right.
CJ knows he should obey the first time.
He knows to be respectful and friendly to adults.
He knows not to whine or throw fits.
He knows to be kind and loving and to share.
Moses knows many of these things, too; the others he is learning...quickly!
But to go beyond knowing to doing takes a little decisive action. OK, a lot of decisive, repeated, consistent, diligent action, mostly on the part of their mommy and daddy.
Because CJ and Moses were born to two sinful parents, they were born with a bent, a natural inclination, to sin. To look out for their own interests rather than the interests of others. Training them to choose to do what is right, to be selfless, takes work. It will not just happen naturally.
Going from knowing to doing takes a lot of work.
It's the same for big people, too.
Just because we KNOW certain attitudes or actions or reactions are wrong, doesn't mean we automatically stop doing these things. We are capable of learning to choose to do what we already know is right. But learning to make this choice takes decisive work.
It might mean changing our environment. Removing temptation. Throwing away certain media. Unplugging the TV or computer or turning off the cell phone. Refusing to allow our thoughts to run down certain paths. Sometimes, even avoiding prolonged interaction with certain people.
The writer of Proverbs says it this way:
Jesus said it this way:
That's decisive action. Sin is that serious.
But sometimes, the temptations aren't things we can avoid or cut out. It's a battle! All we can do then is do our best to retrain our choices and our reactions...decisively, repeatedly, diligently.
And fall on our faces before our Jesus and plead for mercy from the only One Who can, one day at a time and bit by bit, help us replace our sinful nature with His divine nature.
CJ, too, has long demonstrated that he clearly knows the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
Before I discipline him, I always ask him why he is being disciplined, and he always has an answer. Lately, he has gotten creative in answering--he acts out what he has done wrong, including sound effects. "I do dis...and dis...and I run 'way..." he says, as he twists and turns, using sweeping hand motions and even running across the room. Again, I have to hide a smile and resist the urge to join in his game of charades, and instead tell him, "CJ, use words."
God has given humans, His image-bearers, even very tiny humans, the ability to know what is right and what is wrong.
But knowing what is right is vastly different from doing what is right.
CJ knows he should obey the first time.
He knows to be respectful and friendly to adults.
He knows not to whine or throw fits.
He knows to be kind and loving and to share.
Moses knows many of these things, too; the others he is learning...quickly!
But to go beyond knowing to doing takes a little decisive action. OK, a lot of decisive, repeated, consistent, diligent action, mostly on the part of their mommy and daddy.
Because CJ and Moses were born to two sinful parents, they were born with a bent, a natural inclination, to sin. To look out for their own interests rather than the interests of others. Training them to choose to do what is right, to be selfless, takes work. It will not just happen naturally.
Going from knowing to doing takes a lot of work.
It's the same for big people, too.
Just because we KNOW certain attitudes or actions or reactions are wrong, doesn't mean we automatically stop doing these things. We are capable of learning to choose to do what we already know is right. But learning to make this choice takes decisive work.
It might mean changing our environment. Removing temptation. Throwing away certain media. Unplugging the TV or computer or turning off the cell phone. Refusing to allow our thoughts to run down certain paths. Sometimes, even avoiding prolonged interaction with certain people.
The writer of Proverbs says it this way:
"Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on."
(Proverbs 4:14-15, NASB)
"If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you...
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast if from you..."
(Matthew 5:29-30, NKJV)
That's decisive action. Sin is that serious.
But sometimes, the temptations aren't things we can avoid or cut out. It's a battle! All we can do then is do our best to retrain our choices and our reactions...decisively, repeatedly, diligently.
And fall on our faces before our Jesus and plead for mercy from the only One Who can, one day at a time and bit by bit, help us replace our sinful nature with His divine nature.
"Grace and peace be multiplied to you
in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
as His divine power has given to us all things
that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises,
that through these you may be partakers of the DIVINE NATURE,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
(2 Peter 1:2-4, NKJV)
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