choices & consequences

something has really been bugging me lately... so i thought i'd take it to the BLOG!  and... i don't want to spout merely my own opinions, i want to back it up with the TRUTH.  GOD'S TRUTH.

as a mom, i survived the first two teenagers, and now we have three more.  i struggle on a daily basis with:

1.  allowing my children to make mistakes that build character.
2.  giving my children freedom without allowing them to run wild.
3.  teaching them their CHOICES lead to CONSEQUENCES.

number 3 is what i'm really bothered by lately. 

choice-  the act of choosing : selection <finding it hard to make a choice> 
(from webster's dictionary)

we all have them... choices.  God gave us FREE WILL!  and he gave us RULES!  as "Christians" if we take the attitude "Jesus died to save me from my sins.  Church is for unconditional acceptance" we are REALLY missing the mark!  YES!  Jesus did die for our redemption!  Yes, our sins are cleaned and we are "born again" ... but that DOES NOT give us permission to do whatever we want!

if i speed, i will inevitably be pulled over.  when i speak to the police officer should i explain "but Jesus died for my sins!"  probably not!  i should accept the CONSEQUENCE of my CHOICES!! 

when my child goes somewhere he's been told not to and stays out past his curfew, should he tell me "but mom, you're supposed to love me no matter what and Jesus died for my sins!"  well, he CAN tell me that, but he will still receive a NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCE for his CHOICES. 

as i said, i didn't want to rattle off my opinion alone, so i found two fantastic scripture verses:

1 John 3:4     

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

i like this one.  "PRACTICE OF SINNING".  the old saying "practice makes perfect"... we can't just go around making sin a habit!  when you accept Jesus as your Savior and His GIFT of new life/forgiveness, in return He expects us to FOLLOW HIS RULES!  to not follow the rules would be similar to joining a organization, but refusing to follow the guidelines or participating in events!  to be offended that the organization expects you stay within the expectations is very unreasonable! 

Isaiah 59:2     

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. 

i love this one.  just think about the FIRST sin!  what did adam and eve immediately do??  they covered themselves up and tried to HIDE from God!  we can't hide!  God already knows what we've done!  when we slip up (and we will!) turn to God for forgiveness!  but don't be upset when there are EARTHLY CONSEQUENCES  for our CHOICES! 

i'm going to open myself up here... when my husband and i met, within a week we knew "this was it".  i knew i would spend the rest of my life with him.  and we decided to live together.  live together... clearly this is against God's Word.  and i do believe we created a separation between God and ourselves. 

after we were married, i can honestly say both our Spiritual Lives and well as our Earthly Lives vastly improved!  We've both received promotions at work as well as raises. God worked a miracle with my health.  Our children are excelling in school and hobbies.  Really, I could rattle off dozens more.  but my point is:  CONSEQUENCES.  every CHOICE has them.  some are positive and some are negative.

i think this has really been bothering me because of the condition of our country.  the more we accept, the more people do.  "give an inch, take a mile".... 

i want to end this on a positive note.  we all slip up.  some days, i have the mouth of a sailor.  sometimes i find myself gossiping.  i'm human.  i'm going to make mistakes.  but each day, i get up and try to make the best choices i can that line up with God's word.

John 15:9-17 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.