That's Hot!: My Son's lesson on Conscience

We have one of those flat top electric stoves in the house we just moved into. I had just got done explaining to the kids not to touch it because it's hot. I guess every kid has that "touch the stove moment" even though mom just said not to (I remember doing it!) and sure enough my son, Jordan had to test the limit and burned himself as I turned around to wash the pan. Poor guy. After I fixed him up with ice and pain reliever I remembered we have been talking about our conscience the past couple days... So I decided to use the stove as an object lesson about how God gives us all a conscience like the warning light on the stove telling us it's hot. If we don't listen to that God-given warning system inside, we can get hurt. I told him how we have to keep our hearts sensitive to that warning system so we don't get hurt. If we harden our hearts to our God-given conscience we lose our ability to know wrong and right. Then I asked him what did you think before you touched the stove? He said, I know you said not to but I wanted to see... I feel bad about touching the stove. I said, Well I'm sad you got hurt; I don't want you to get hurt because I love you. That is why I warned you not to touch the stove because I was trying to protect you.

     Then I said: You know Jordan, God gives us our conscience to protect us because he loves us and wants to protect us. Later, I went on to explain how our conscience is connected to God's moral law and knowing right from wrong. When you touched the stove after I told you not to, you were sinning, you disobeyed me and when you disobey your parents, you are disobeying God. I told him sometimes we are going to get hurt when we don't listen; when we sin it can have painful consequences. Sin is a part of being human and we are unable to follow Gods law perfectly. God hates sin because He is Holy and can't be around sin. He hates sin because sin hurts. Sin hurts us. When we sin, it makes it hard for us to hear God tell us when something is wrong. Sin hurts our conscience.

     But because God loves us so much he sent his son Jesus to live the life we are not able to live. Jesus always listened to his parents and never sinned. God wants to be around us because He loves His creation. The Bible says that God showed us his love by that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 He died the death we deserve to die because he loves us and hates sin. If we believe Jesus is God and came to die for us, ask God for forgiveness of our sins, repent (turn away from our sins) God is faithful to forgive our sins and help us follow him and listen to what is right. 1 John 1:9 I have been trying to keep in mind the gospel when I am dealing with my kids when they disobey and use it as an opportunity to share the gospel with them instead of get angry at the sin. They sin just like I do and need the savior just as much as I do. I mess up a lot but God is merciful and patient, He gently reminds me that in that moment I am not believing the gospel when I am angry at my kids for doing what I do...sin! So I need to be just as merciful and patient with my kiddos as God is with me. The gospel reminds me to live out the gospel in every part of my life. Thank you Lord for your glorious gospel! Father, help me to live the gospel out in my home and where ever I am every day.