I recently saw a Family Circus cartoon that showed three children leaning on the edge of their parent's bed, watching them while they slept. The caption underneath was one child's remark: "They look so sweet and peaceful when they are asleep. You wonder how they could ever yell at us during the day."
Do you ever wonder if this scenario is taking place in your home? Do you ever have a sneaking suspicion that your husband or children sometimes watch you sleep and marvel at how kind and peaceful you appear compared to when you are awake?
While we should all aggresively seek to remove the hindrances of anger, bitterness, and judging, we will likely fail at times to be kind. On the heels of our failure can come a fear that we have caused irreparable damage to our family relationships.
Yet this fear leaves God out of the picture. Although it is true we have the potential to inflict harm on family members, the grace of God can still bring forth good, even out of our sin. No situation created by our sin is so horrible that God can't redeem it for good--both for us and for our families...
When we are unkind to our husbands or children, we should not make excuses for ourselves. We must confess our sin to God and humbly ask our family members for their forgiveness. However, let us find hope in God's grace, which covers the offense of our sin and work it for good!
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
