WHO Said That???
By Karin Litchfield
Child: "I keep making the same stupid mistake over and over again. I'll never be able to obey God consistently."
Insightful Parent: "Now, WHO said that?"
The question, "Who said that?" could be one of the most important questions that you ask your child as they get older, and certainly one of the best questions to teach your child to ask themselves.
The bottom line is: a thought that is expressed like the one above is either a thought from the Lord or it is a thought from the enemy. Teaching our child how to discern who these thoughts are from is crucial in them obtaining victory over the enemie’s thoughts and, hence, claiming what Jesus says.
Think about the statement above. "I keep making the same stupid mistake over and over again. I'll never be able to obey God consistently."
How does that align with scriptures like:
Ii Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Let's try a couple more statements and contradictions in Scripture.
"I am so ugly, no one will ever love me."
God says: "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Psalm 139:14
"I will never be good enough to have friends/spouse/a good job."
God says: "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8
The concept of "Who said that?" becomes all the more important when we think of it as who, in our heart and spirit, are we agreeing with? Are we agreeing with God? Or are we agreeing with Satan? Teaching our children how we do not want to make an agreement with Satan, can open their eyes to this deception. We want to be in agreement with God who has the very best in mind for us. Therefore, as we are taking every thought captive, we are casting out the thoughts that are not from the Lord. This is a good lesson for us as parents too, isn't it?
So, next time your child comes to you discouraged and makes disparaging statements, don't try to just be positive, ask them, "Now, WHO said that?". 😊
