The Heart of a Homemaker | Teaching What Is Good Part 2

Last week we had Part 1 on the phrase "Teaching What Is Good."  Today we are heading into part 2 of the lesson.

The original post from 2009 can be found here.

Teaching what is good also means not avoiding teaching part of a lesson because the other part convicts us.

It is so important that we teach the concept of showing respect and obedience to those in authority over us to our children. However, on a personal level, I was having a problem with a person in spiritual authority for a very long time. This particular person had hurt my family and me very much, and I had harbored anger and bitterness towards this person for a couple of years. I began to feel God speaking to me about forgiving this person. Soon after, a dear friend's son went home to be with the Lord, and at his funeral God brought me to a place where I had a decision to make about forgiving this person. I could either walk right past this person (I could have easily made it look like I hadn't seen this person which I really wanted to do) or I could purposely turn around, shake this person's hand, and show this person that I had forgiven them. Only with God's help and strength, I chose the latter.

How could I have talked to Addie about forgiveness or respect of those in spiritual authority if I myself was struggling in this area? By God's grace I can now address this with my daughter. And I can't even begin to describe for you the freeing feeling I received moments after this event happened.

Sometimes teaching what is good means teaching something even when we are afraid of what others may think or we are afraid of the subject itself. In our society today "tolerance" is demanded from those of us who choose to have convictions on what God says is right and wrong. When we begin to make stands and statements against what we believe God says is wrong in our society, we are criticized and labeled as intolerant. Teaching what is good sometimes means teaching what is not popular or considered politically correct, teaching what may sound old fashioned, and teaching what may be considered prudish. However, our society is evidence of what not teaching what is good has gotten us.

Lastly, teaching what is good means teaching what is right, not teaching what is our opinion or our own personal preference. When we are studying God's Word, it is important that we look at it with eyes that have no covering on them. We can't filter what we read through a sieve of our own opinions and preferences. We need to do it the other way around.

God's Word is not to conform to our ideas. Our ideas are to conform to God's Word. If that means that things will need to change in our lives, then so be it.

As Christians our lives are to reflect the Lord and His Word and Standard.

God's Word has not changed over time, whereas our opinion, preferences, ideas, and behavior have, unfortunately. When we receive from God's Word what is good and teach what is good, God will be able to do amazing things in our lives and in the lives of those around us. We need to be so careful, that we do not avoid teaching what is good because it does not fit with our preconceived notions.

May we go forth and teach what is good to those around us, and may God be glorified by our willingness to do so.