Friday 21 Feb 2014

Friday Reading: Hebrews 12:7-11

Key Verse: Hebrews 12:9
Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

Devotion:
One of the most controversial things we face nowadays is just how far we are allowed to correct a child when they do something wrong. What I don’t want to do is get into a discussion about how much, how far or even how really; what I do want to cover is the fact that correction in some form or another must be served otherwise children will not learn anything new!

As youth workers we tend to have to face up to the whole spectrum of children who have either faced harsh punishment or at the other end, the children who have not had any correction to speak of. It is very clear to see the results of the correction or lack of correction through the way the youth will act. We do have an uphill task with most youth not just because they do misbehave, but because they don’t actually know how to handle discipline if they have not had any at home.

God has shown us that we do need to show love and respect but part of that love and respect is that we need to show others when they have got it all wrong; and that means standing up and saying something! If you were to run off and start sinning as much as you could just so that you could get your “money’s worth” out of the grace and forgiveness of God, do you really think He would stand by and allow you to run riot? So why should we then think any different as parents or leaders?

I spend a lot of my time getting to know the youth and children that I work with because I can then know how to react to each of them when they may do something wrong; equally how to praise when they do something right! Unfortunately as society and communities stretch to breaking point, the relational ties between youth and their parents also gets strained and stretched too far. As Christians we should all be more willing to step forward and help to patch up those over-stretched relationships and bring a bit more harmony back to this world. God would rather that we do spend time sitting and talking to prevent problems than rushing round and picking up the pieces!

Points to Ponder:
Do you wait to pick up the pieces?

Are you willing to strengthen bonds first?