Raising Demigods

Something struck me last week and I haven't been able to shake it.  I was reading the onslaught of political news and noticed a common thread of flawed people who are personally convinced that they can do no wrong and that their mistakes are either lies about them or the result of someone else's failure. The scary part is that many onlookers have chosen one of these self-righteous individuals to get behind and to cheer on their perceived morally superior status.  

When it got real for me was when I was visiting with one of my children about a poor choice they had made.  Their response was to blame another individual for their own sin.  Of course, in my heightened sensitivity to the subject, I immediately pointed out that... no...they had sinned...because they are a sinner...and thus very much in need of a Holy God to forgive them of their sin... and help them, through grace, to make better choices... once they had repented (which they have still not done).  #notwinning

Here is where I believe our problem lies as parents and we need to own it.  We are (in our own sin) turning these precious gifts from God into little demigods.  When our kid hates band, it's the band teacher's fault (instead of a natural consequence of not practicing).  When they don't get enough playing time on the field, it's the coach's fault.  Those poor choices they made at school were because their teacher did not have control of her students and when they verbally disrespect their parents, it is because they have been spending too much time with ________.  Do you see it?  

If we are not careful, we are going to raise the next generation of Donald Trumps and Hillary Clintons who do not need the forgiveness of a Holy God because they themselves are without sin. 

I don't want to raise a child who justifies their sin but even more I don't want to raise a child who lives apart from a daily dependence upon Jesus. 

Here is what I know about demigods:

*God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)

*The self-righteous judge the sins of others while over looking their own sin. (Matt 7:5)

*The self-righteous seek to gain followers over following Jesus (Matt 23:13,15)

*The Lord detests the proud (Prov 16:5)

*ALL sin and fall short of the Glory of God (Rom 3:23)

*We cannot rightly relate to God unless we rightly relate to ourselves and our sin (HERE - this is a good read).

My hope is that you don't see my kids walking around with their head down and think, "Oh Ginny is still helping them get in touch with their sin nature," but instead see them moving forward with even more confidence because they know that the forgiveness we have in Christ and the power that He gives us to live far surpasses the life we live as self-righteous demigods.