The Cookie
“What’s wrong, Kev?” I could tell something had happened at school. So, we sat down on my bed to talk. After some coaxing, he admitted that he had eaten a cookie. I may have been a little bit of a food Nazi, but sugar was not the problem here. Kevin knew it was the Days of Unleavened Bread, yet he just couldn’t resist the temptation to eat that sweet treat! To be fair, he was only in first or second grade.
“Kevin in First Grade”
I have long forgotten the rest of the details, but his guilt and the grief he felt over that one little cookie is still so precious to me! I love how God used his guilty conscience to root out a minor problem, one that could have become a bad habit if not dealt with.
Conscience
Should we trust Jiminy Cricket and “always let our conscience be our guide?” To put it another way, if we don’t feel guilty about an action, does that mean it is right? Of course not, especially with little children. It takes years to learn God’s laws, and God expects us to help our little ones learn obedience. We all know the scriptures that warn against trusting our wicked hearts because they try to deceive us. So, we must train our children not to follow their hearts, and not to follow their friends, but to rely on us, and then ultimately on God as the one and only true source of truth.
Side bar: I do not recommend taking little ones to see the movie Pinocchio in the theater. Kev was probably only 3 when I made that mistake. One of the larger-than-life evil, wicked characters terrified him. If you’re a Disney fan, I suggest limiting their exposure to movies at that age – reading books and listening to music will prevent them from seeing things they can’t unsee.
Guilt-free Living
So, I got it in my head the other day that it MAY be possible to live a guilt-free life, or at least come pretty close to it! The thought hit me: what if we always listened to that nagging idea, that still, small voice, and always did the right thing? What if we took the time to stop and think rather than wander through life, mindlessly going with the flow? I can still hear my co-worker chiding me to “think, Judy, think!” That slight hesitation and/or careful thought may buy us just enough time to devise a plan or offer up “apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Proverbs 25:11). Guilt-free and beautiful – sounds like a win-win to me!
Of course, personalities vary, but if some of us as adults struggle with self-control, then how do we go about teaching this Godly fruit to our children? You know, little children with short attention spans and very little patience? Most of the little ones I know frequently dart around like bees, flitting from one activity to another. No wonder God tells us to diligently teach them His commandments “and speak of them when we you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). God’s firm foundation grounds and settles them. Little by little they learn through hearing God’s Word and seeing our Godly example, thereby engulfing them in a life surrounded by God’s goodness.
Overkill
Like any good grandma, I love teaching my grandkids whenever I get the chance. But several years ago, I found out I had gone overboard. My oldest grandsons complained to their mother that I talked too much. Me? Gramma Judy? Ouch! After some consideration, I realized I had become a preacher. Instead of turning the boy’s hearts to God, I was turning them away from God and myself. That taught this Grandma a good lesson. Just like salt, we must be careful how we season our words: too little tastes bland, too much is intolerable, but add just the right amount and baby bear will gobble it all up!
The Takeaway
Most of us do our best to help our children become productive, responsible, God-loving adults. At the same time, all of us fall short. Being human means there will always be more lessons to learn, more annoying faults to correct, and more room for growth. With practice we can train ourselves and our children to listen closely to our conscience and even closer to God’s urging. Our words must be in sync with our actions – both should point our children to God and His loving, wonderful ways. And remember – don’t eat (leavened) cookies during the Days of Unleavened Bread!