Sorrow for Sin

We love to talk about God’s love with kids and rightly so. Even in his judgment, we see a love that will not allow us to be less than the best he makes us to be—holy, like him. And we love our kids so much that we want them to know of the deep, never-changing love of their heavenly Father.

But to only tell our children of God’s love without teaching them of their sin and its consequences, paints a dangerous half-picture. God is love. God is just. All love and no discipline is not love. We miss the richness of forgiveness if we don’t see the mess of the sin. We can’t celebrate the resurrection without the death of Jesus … and we can’t understand the death without a clear look at our failures.

We can grow so callous to our sin. We laugh off disobedience as mischief. We teach our children that white lies are fine. We don’t even know our guilt because we do not read our Bibles to find out about it.

But the more we learn about the heart of God, the more we love him and want to please him, the more we realize our sin and how it grieves God.

At the time of the evening sacrifice, I was still sitting there in sorrow with my clothes all torn. So I got down on my knees, then lifted my arms, and prayed: I am much too ashamed to face you, Lord God. Our sins and our guilt have swept over us like a flood that reaches up to the heavens.

Ezra 9:5-6 (CEV)

So, as we come into this joyous season of Easter, let’s not skip over the hard reality of Good Friday. Jesus Christ died to be the ultimate redemption for mankind and our sinful ways. Like the Israelite leader Ezra, as leaders of our families, let’s lead our children in prayers of repentance for ourselves, our family, our people. When arguments arise, let them see your grief over the anger. Point out the attitudes of selfishness and apathy to lies or disobedience seen in entertainment. Gently but firmly point out their errors, speaking the truth in love to them.

PRAY

Oh Lord, please forgive me for the many things I do wrong, including the things I don’t even know are wrong. Thank you for taking my guilt and making a way for me by having Jesus die on the cross. Help me teach my children about what grieves you. Amen.

TIME TO TALK

Conversation starter for kids: Provides you with questions and prompts to facilitate a time of applicable discussion with children to lead them towards knowing God and his Word more deeply.

Question(s): What makes God sad? Does our sin make God sad?

Apply: A longer activity that you can plan or start now: As a family, read C. S. Lewis’s book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, or watch the movie adaptation. The story is a powerful allegory of the gravity of sin.

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These additional verses will help parents expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Psalm 51:3-4

Revelation 3:19