Appeal to the Conscience and NOT Pride

Thanks to my friend allowing me to borrow her book, I've been busy reading "Shepherding a Child's Heart". The chapter I read today discussed how to appeal to your child's conscience. I just read the following"Hypocrisy and self-righteousness is the result of giving children (or people in general as far as I can tell) a keepable law and telling them to be good. To the extent they are successful, they become like the Pharisees, people whose exterior is clean, while inside they are full of dirt and filth. The genius of Pharisseism was that it reduced the law to a keepable standard of externals that any self-disciplined person could do. In their pride and self-righteousness, they rejected Christ."

The thing I love about reading parenting books is that I often see where I slip up in my own life. Those places I think "I've got THIS". This paragraph seemed to break down the path to hypocrisy so clearly for me. We all have our moments that we wish we could see our 'tripping' spot and learn. This spoke volumes to me!

I wouldn't necessarily label myself as a hypocrite or self-righteous, BUT I can see how many of the days I feel icky about myself are days I've dared to follow this mind-set: even if only internally for a moment. Still makes me feel icky no matter how far I take it.

The following was how God draws us to obey Him: "God's standard is correct behavior flowing from a heart that loves God and has God's glory as the sole purpose of life. Discipline leads to the cross of Christ where sinful people are forgiven. Sinners who come to Jesus in repentance and faith are empowered to live new lives."

My heart's desire is to learn to model this better for my kids AND to see how to properly put this into action. I feel like I see a twinge of the Phariseeism coming out of my kids from time to time. We all have moments where we are puffed up with our abilities, so I can't knock them for having their moments. I just need God's wisdom in how to effectively remove that Pharisee-like drive from obedience and replace that with their conscience, as the guiding nudge toward God. Of course, I could use help in remaining more within my own conscience vs. my drive to obey too. I'm a stickler for following rules - so this one is hard for me, which is why I need God's help in modeling and teaching this to my kids. I get great joy from doing something well and right. I see how this clearly leads to a path I do not want to live my life by. Lord, hear my prayer!