Little Disciples

It is amazing how when our hearts are filled to be poured out again, there is so much to pour out!

Sally Clarkson talked a lot about disciple-ing (training & leading) our children instead of just disciplining (punishing).  Sometimes I fail to see that as my role as much as I should.  I know I am teaching them about God, daily.  We read our Bible, we apply it, we talk about it all the time – it is a REAL part of our lives – we live it.

But when they falter, when they fail, when they sin, sometimes I get distracted (frustrated) and maybe look at it like I am just doing a job for so many years and then I will be done.  Their failure sometimes  makes me think I am failing them too.  I am not really but it feels that way sometimes.  Sometimes it is hard to see a boy – almost young man – fail. 

And when he does I have a hard time processing it sometimes.  I have a hard time responding like I am training him to deal with failure and how to recover from it – instead I want to make him never want to fail again.  Not the healthiest approach, per haps.

But then I read

They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about he loaves; their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:51c-52

And it hits me.  These were Jesus’s best friends.  These were the men he was pouring his life into 24 hours a day.  Boy.  Jesus had kids too.  He had 12 of ‘em.  {in a sense if you will}

And those silly disciples were dense at times.  They failed to get it.  I know I have talked about this before, how these men are real men, like us – they fail.  They disappoint.  They question. 

And yet, Jesus rarely rebukes them.  I think in that moment after the feeding of the 5000, I would have blown a gasket if I saw their hearts were hardened and they did not get it.  Honestly, I think I have blown gaskets for much less.

But, He did not.  I should not.  He loved them.  He was probably often disappointed, but did he ever heap guilt on them?  Did he ever rebuke them, unless it was REALLY a big deal?  No.  He spoke in love.  He understood our sin nature far more than I do. 

So, as I disciple these little people, I see that I need to be more patient, loving, and less “gasket blowing”.  Really.  My kids get so much of it – they get it.  They love HIM.  They want to live for HIM, and yet they sin.  Kind of like someone else I know.  {Ahem}   Yet, Jesus still speaks truth into my heart, he loves me, he encourages me, and blesses me far beyond what I deserve or expect.  Shouldn’t I do the same for my children?