The better question

Friday, March 12, 2010


Last Monday on our mommies' small group part of the lesson we learned was taken from 2 Samuel 2:12-2512 Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD. ... 17 This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD's sight, for they were treating the LORD's offering with contempt.... 22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 23Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. So he said to them, "24 No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the LORD's people. 25 If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke, for it was the LORD's will to put them to death.

When Eli heard the wicked things that his sons were doing he then asked them some mealy-mouthed, weak questions starting with the infamous parenting question, "Why did you do that?"

Parents, don't ask that question! The answer is obvious! It is because you child is a sinful human being who wants what he wants, when he wants it, the way he wants it!

Eli tried to reason with unreasonable young men. A better question would have been, "What did you do?" After he nailed down what they had done, he should have meted out discipline. Eli failed to love his sons enough to discipline them - taken from the book Wisdom for Mothers by Denise Glenn.
 
"Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death."
Proverbs 19:18


" Your job as a mother is to be a trainer, not an entertaner! Your child's character development is more important than his comfort!" Denise Glenn
 

2 comments:

  1. wahhh.....thanks for sharing, ci! Next time I lose my temper, I'll ask the same question to myself =)

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  2. Whoa... Thank you Fon! I didn't even think to apply it to myself but now I do. :)

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