Kate shoved the last of her second piece of Halloween candy
into her mouth and pointed at the candy bucket and started begging for
more. In my mind I was thinking of the
choice I had to make, say no and listen to the crying vs. what’s the harm of
one more small piece of candy. I decided
one more small piece wouldn’t hurt and then endured the temper tantrum when I
said No when she inevitably begged for a fourth.
As a parent, do you ever feel like the constant temper
tantrums make you a bad parent? After
all shouldn’t our perfect little angels do exactly what they are told the first
time we ask without complaint or whining?
Well actually, that is something they have to learn. We humans are selfish, self-gratifying
creatures. Self-denial, self-control, and sacrifice are things that have to be learned.
19 month old Kate doesn’t have the maturity to deny herself
from eating candy until she throws it up and so I have to do it for her. And for now, she doesn’t have the maturity to
accept NO without a big temper tantrum.
It doesn’t mean I’m doing something wrong, it actually
probably means I’m doing something right.
If there were no tantrums now and then I think I’d be more concerned.
As I reflected on this, I remembered that God asks us as
adults to practice self-denial, self-control, and sacrifice as well. We don’t learn these things as children for
no reason at all. In order to love and
serve others we have to deny ourselves of the things we want. Several times in God’s Word it says that in
order to follow Him we will face suffering, persecution, hardship, and
sacrifice. We call this dying to self.
My logical next conclusion then was that if I didn’t
occasionally have a desire to throw a temper tantrum, which of course a mature
responsible adult would never do, then I am probably not fully living for
Christ.
I’m not saying that we adults should actually throw temper
tantrums. I am saying, we Christians
need to remember what God has called us to, the sacrifice he demonstrated for
us when he was hung on the cross to be punished for our sins, and then practice
the same self-denial we teach our children (that our parents hopefully taught
us).
And next time your little angel lets her distaste of your
boundary be known, take a step back and be grateful for the opportunity to
teach a very important spiritual and life long lesson.
