“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” Proverbs 13:4
Our weekly Christian devotional
“Ok, trophy winners—please take your bow!” The announcer points his microphone to the row of young gymnasts.
At his cue, a dozen white smiles and glittery bows jiggled and bowed in unison.
Jaden’s father masked his disappointment, clapping loudly with the rest of the crowd.
“I’ve got it, kiddo.” Heading towards his daughter, Mike grabbed the cumbersome trophy with one hand; swooping up his seven year old with the other. Playfully jostling his little girl and her prize, they headed towards the parking lot.
“So, everyone wins a trophy? That doesn’t sound like much of a competition to me.” Pinching her tiny nose he lowered his daughter to the ground.
“Daddy.” Little Jaden chided her father. “That’s so nobody gets hurt feelings.”
“Oh.”
Deep down, Michael Banks was saddened by her words. The very reason Jaden was enrolled in gymnastics was because Michael knew competitive sports was an excellent way to build character.
How unfortunate that his precious daughter would never experience the pain of an actual loss or the high of a real win. Michael vividly recalled practicing harder every time his little league lost a game to their neighborhood rivals. He knew that experiencing those defeats only created a more deeply rooted palate for winning.
That yearning for a Midwest title pushed young Mike into disciplining himself for excellence. Because of it, Michael Banks still holds the record as the fastest pitcher in Addison Trail middle school. His amazing record remains unbroken today.
Sadly, in an effort to protect the ones we love, many of us (unknowingly) shield them from actual growth. In an effort to avoid pain, many of us avert our loved ones from the very things they need to experience in order to learn their most important lessons in life.
Think about it: precision driving can only be achieved after one masters the obstacle course. But…isn’t life the biggest obstacle course of all?
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I repent for a wrong attitude. In my need to ‘take care’, I have actually tried to take complete control.
Lord, this isn’t my place. My place as a leader is to guide and protect. Some lessons need to be learned without my interruption. For this, I will need supernatural discernment. Help me to be the kind of parent that isn’t so ‘hands on’ that I never give my child a chance to grow.
I want my family to grow up to be responsible, dependable and contributing members of society. In today’s world of political correctness, fear of being judged for setting standards has rendered me impotent. Lord, this kind of fear will never enable me to be a strong leader for my family.
In the name of Jesus, I bind the spirit of fear. I ask for wisdom and discernment on how to discipline and lead my children.
I dedicate my family to you, Lord. Help us to walk in your ways. This will be a blessing that will lead to a fruitful and abundant life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Thank you for reading our weekly Christian devotional on verse: Proverbs 13:4
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Author: Julia Shalom Jordan