little boys and Superman

As I am trying to teach my kids Godly characteristics, I wonder if I am teaching them right?  Am I teaching them to strive for these qualities?  Or am I teaching them that the only way they can live them out it to depend on Jesus to fill them up?

We are called to live so that we

continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as [we] were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6b

We are supposed to be strengthened to do everything through HIM.

I am hoping they will figure out that they are not going to choose kindness, forgiveness, compassion, honesty – first.  Not in their own efforts or strength. 

 

For I have the desire to do what is good, but cannot carry it out.  Romans 7:18b

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Romans 7:19

In fact, unless we let ourselves be filled with God’s truth we are really not any good.  What is it Isaiah calls us? Filthy rags?  Well, he calls our righteous acts (the best stuff we do) filthy rags:

All of us have become like on who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags  Isaiah 64:6

But, am I modeling that?  Am I showing them how to be filled up with the good stuff?

Today we talked about Super Heroes.  Boys live to talk about super heroes.   We talked about Superman vs. Clark Kent.  I told them how Clark Kent does not really have his powers until he dons his suit.  I tried to relate this to them needing Jesus.  They need to ask Jesus to fill them up as they go confront a sibling.  They need to start the day asking Jesus to fill them up with patience and kindness and compassion to get them through the day.  How do I know they need to do this?  Because their momma needs to every morning.  Every morning.

I am trying to teach my boys to act right, but more than that I am really hoping they get who helps them to act right, and it is not me!  I am hoping they figure out how to make the right choice, who to look to when they feel like they cannot do it.

I have been talking a lot about David these days too, my kids LOVE David.  I want them to realize he was just a man.  What makes him a hero is that he loved God with all of his heart.  I want them to see that what can make them different and a hero of their own making is that they can love God just as much.  David made mistakes, they will too.  But, David always tried to do the right thing, repented when he did wrong and turned back to God.  That is all we can ask of our kids, I think.

So we will keep talking.  I hope that my superman analogy sticks in their minds a bit, but we will see.  They are boys and they seem to forget as quickly as their room gets messy.