"I Go first", "It’s Not Fair", I’m Going To Tell Mom"

As parents we at times get frustrated with our children when we hear statements such as “I go first”, “It’s not fair”, and “I’m going to tell”. Conflict management, have you ever wondered, “will they ever get along with each other?”. In my mind I would remember the statement coined by Rodney King many years ago “can’t we all just get along?”. I have often wondered, throughout all my seasons working with children and adults, what God’s perspective is when He sees His children grumbling, fighting, and complaining. As a father, this sibling rivalry weighs heavy on my heart. I continually and loving discipline my children to get along with their siblings and with others. In God’s Word I find that He gets heavy hearted as well, that it breaks His heart just the same way that it does mine. In the book of Ephesians chapter 6 , we read about the armor of God. In vs 10-17, we are challenged and charged to guard ourselves from the enemies attack, to be diligent and vigilant. We do so by disciplining our selves in the Word and prayer, guarding our minds from the temptations of the enemy, and by filling our minds with God’s truth. As we continue to read vs. 18 reminds us: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lords people.” We are reminded of the powerhouse of God that is within us, and how we should be praying diligently for one another, living life together, and praying for spiritual growth in each another. I read a number of years ago a statement that said, if we would spend more time praying for our pastors and less time just talking about them, we would have better pastors. I will take this statement one step farther; if we would spend more time praying for one another and less time speaking coarsely about one another we would be better people. I conclude with this thought; I love my kids so much, and though I struggle to reinforce all the lessons I teach them on how to treat one another, I know that the truth of God’s word is being absorbed into their lives. I wish the kids would get it the first time, or they would reply with a halo over their heads, “why yes father”, but I realize that just as God is ever so patient with me, I have to model that patience to them.