What's the state of your flock?

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds.(proverbs 27:23)

The puddles are deep around here on the farm. The rain has been coming down all day and we're stuck inside. I watch my flock and am attending to the things of my household and I notice the slightest of attitudes or signs of disrespect and I make a mental note. I watch my flock as they eat together and play together and I notice brothers being unkind or sisters being too bossy and I write it down. My household, the one the Lord gave for me to run, is very important to me. My flock is even more important and when I see one wandering too far away I take to running to get them back.

I couldn't do these things if I weren't at home.. If I weren't standing guard over this little flock of mine.

  

 I've seen so many parents believe the lie that my 2 year old is just being normal when she pitches a fit or it's normal for my teenage son to withdraw because that's what they do when they are becoming their own person. God never says any of this is.....    

God, over and over again, warns us parents to be about the business of training, not to be about the business of listening to this world and yet we listen. We let little things go. We think they will out grow the tantrums or their sullen behavior will get better when they get older. 

In God's word He says the opposite is true. "Train up a chid in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Why is it we believe we can do things

our way and get good results?

Once again we think we know better than God. 

So we are training up a generation of lazy, self-indulged

 men and women.

 We don't expect anything out of our children and we think if we can just get them through the toddler years it'll get better.

Your flock just moved a step further away from you. 

You ask your child to do something and they don't do it, so you do it for them because it's just easier.

Your flock just moved.

You ask your son to mow the lawn and he suddenly doesn't feel like doing anything. You don't teach your child manners because it feels fake to you. You allow your child to brag and boast about his things or her knowledge. You call it something different than boasting.. like, "they just know their history or he can sure play sports".. so let him or her show off a little it doesn't hurt anybody. 

Your flock is no where around.        

Go to God's word and show me where it says being prideful about anything is acceptable. We allow it because it makes us feel good that our children are smart or atheltic and yet God says pride comes before a fall and we are setting our children up for a fall. Some of the children I have the hardest time being around come from wonderful Christian homeschooled families, mine included...it's those children that know all the answers and will tell their elders or other adults how wrong they are. Our arrogant little flocks are out of control and we think it's cute.  We have created something in them that is muddy and cold, for our own egos. We allow them to correct adults and we don't teach them discretion. What we don't realize is that our child will use that same know-it-all attitude on us but we won't think its so cute then. We'll try to disipline them for something we've allowed to grow. 
Self righteousness. 
I truly believe our society has planted and is watering the seed of self righteousness.
God help us as mothers to unearth that weed in our home.   

 Don't let this weed take root. Don't allow disobience to be comfortable inside the fence. Don't allow laziness and disrespect to disrupt your whole flock because one thing I know...One child who jumps in a puddle will bring someone with them. One child who is allowed to disrespect or disobey is slowly taking over your whole flock. You have the staff..You have the power to bring the flock back to where you want them to graze, but you don't do it. Somewhere inside of yourself you think, " they'll grow up and know whats right one day and they will appreciate me for putting up with them". 

Know your flock and takes notes and search scripture and then train.....while there is still time..

Blessings from the muddy banks,

Robin