Bratty Child--Not Anymore!

Yesterday, I prepared for the day. Lesson plans all laid out. To do lists complete. Then emotions erupted in this home.

One of my children started laying out before me how unfair I treat him. How the other one gets away with EVERYTHING. How I treat him like a slave and the other one does nothing. How he NEVER gets to play because he’s always having to do chores or school. Crying and complaining about how bad his life is here. Crying that he wants another family.

All I wanted to do was to get through the checklist of the to do list. Then this tantrum happened and I thought I might as well forget the syllabus for now. I went to pray for wisdom for all wisdom and knowledge are the Lord’s (Rom. 11:33) and if we ask He will give wisdom to us (James 1:5). After praying I knew there had to be consequences for the explosion of emotions in the home as intentional provoking took place among siblings and toward me, the mother. How my heart grieved. How much I have done for the children and yet their heart is full of complaints toward me & now I have to impose consequences.

Then I saw it. The Israelites cried out to God to deliver them from the oppression of the Egyptians. Then complained when God delivered them and made a golden calf to worship instead of the One who delivered them. For forty years they cried, whined and complained to God. This grieved Him. He had done so much for them and all they could do was complain. The Lord could not let them go into the promise land—their consequence.

Seeing this in my children, I saw I have fallen into a complaining mode too. I also am a bratty child. I’ve complained about how unfair things are or appear to be. How I work like a slave to keep the house clean, pay the bills, do the grocery shopping, etc., etc. When I saw this I realized that it has to stop—starting with me. How it must grieve the Lord that I complain and He must impose consequences (Jer. 42:10). I must go into a thank You Lord mode. He blessed us with so much and done so much for us. I told the boys we need to be thankful.

God has done so much and will continue to do much for us. Thank You Lord! The problems or issues before can seem bigger than my God at times. But God is so much bigger than these things. It’s all a matter of perspective.

Romans 6:17-18

17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Dear Lord, I give You all the honor and glory and praise. I thank You that You use my children to teach me lessons and to teach them. Lord, I seek Your forgiveness for whining and complaining about things and acting like a bratty child. Lord, I want to be thankful for You and all the mighty things You’ve done. I don’t want to act like that anymore. You alone, O God, are worthy of all the praise and honor and glory even in the trials and tests and circumstances. You alone, O God, are to be praised. I pray as for me and my home, we shall worship You and praise Your Holy name. Let me teach these boys to praise Your name and to be thankful to You. Praise be to the glory of God forever and ever! In Jesus name, Amen.

Blessings in Christ--