It's Not Fair!

Acts 6:1-7

Observation:
         In this situation, one group began feeling like their widows were being neglected and overlooked over another group.The disciples acknowledged that this matter needs to be addressed but at the same time sort of, seeing the bigger picture, recognized that this was such a petty thing in comparison to advancing the gospel.

Application:
        Often, I feel this way with my children.  When they are whining or complaining about anything that seems petty to me- through an adult lens.  I instantly want to chastise them and scold them for making a mountain out of a molehill or not recognizing that there is such a bigger picture in the grand scheme of things!  What I fail to recognize, is seeing in their little hearts, that we were designed for a perfect, balanced, just, and fair world.  Just as our souls long for a home that is not here (it's heaven), something in us cries out over the injustice and unfairness of a situation.  Instead of shaming them for a way we are all designed to long for and chastise them for not understanding and recognizing this, I must acknowledge, as the disciples did, and make the most of this opportunity to teach them to understand the cause of the injustice and the sin that wrecked His perfectly balanced design.  I must teach them to approach our now broken world and broken people, and our broken hearts with His grace.  Yes, compared to an older more mature person their problem seems petty when placed in the light of the travesties around the globe but loving them and seeing them as Jesus sees all of us would look like wading into their mess (as petty as it may seem) and helping them come up with a solution in the midst of the injustice of their little world as a means to point them to Jesus.  We as Christian parents, have the unique and incredible responsibility of pointing our children's little tender hearts to Jesus or to turn them away based on how we respond to them.  Now, will they grow up and turn away from God solely because we didn't do this?  Some may wrestle more than others as adults based off of how we conducted ourselves and what we taught them but let's face it, God is bigger than our sin too!  However, we do have the privilege of being used by God to fuel His plan for our children's lives by how we conduct ourselves and what we communicate to them.  Wade into their little world of brokenness, teach them to recognize our need for a savior and the world's need for us to extend grace given to us by Jesus, come up with a solution to address the injustice, and as verse five says in chapter six of Acts, "this proposal pleased the whole group...."

     Father, 
    
    Thank you for your love and grace.  For your patience to continually put up with such petty problems in my life and love me enough to enter into those and help me.  Thank you for my children and provide so many teachable moments for me and also help me to have a deeper understanding of Your love for Your creation.  I need you to help me get these moments right.  That I may come out of a conflict or problem my children are having with one another or with someone else and use it as a means to show them Your compassion by recognizing this hurt and acknowledging that their desire for justice and fairness is right because that's how we were designed but also to keep it in check to not make sure it is a purely selfish motive and also show them Your grace that we get to not only experience because of the brokenness but that we get to be used to extend it to and show it to others and allowing that to point people more to You.  Give me the wisdom and the words to communicate this to my children.  Give me the patience to take the time to do this well and the discernment to know when their little hearts are rightfully broken due to longing for a perfect world or when it is merely their selfish motives that need to be addressed.  Thank you Father for Your Word and Your example through it that teaches us to reflect Your Son to others.

                                                                                                          ~ Amen