It is in his genes and ultimately it will be fatal.
His problem is sin. His sweet little almost three year old's heart is as black as can be with sin.
One minute he's as sweet as can be; the next he's devilishly disobedient. It's exhausting.
Now, I've read the many books. I know to start pointing him to the gospel of Christ when he sins - to encourage repentance and belief. The books are full of nicely scripted conversations where even small children confess their sin and desire to follow Jesus.
However, these books have never met my Hudson.
Here's the conversation from last night at bedtime:
Hudson: I don't like spankings and time outs.
Me: I don't either.
Hudson: Yeah
Me: You know, you're in control of that. You obey and there are no spankings or time out.
Hudson: I don't like to obey.
Me: (laughing on the inside) No one really likes to obey. But Jesus can help you obey. He'll
change your heart so you want to obey.
Hudson: I don't want Jesus to change my heart. I don't like to obey.
Me: *sigh*
Gotta love the honesty of a toddler, huh? He's not even trying to feign the desire to obey, and I think that's a good thing. No little Pharisee-toddler here, hopefully.
Now, I know he's not yet three so hopefully Jesus will change that little heart of his, to repent of his sin and believe in the perfect substitutionary death of Jesus. But in the meantime, please join me in praying for my little one's heart and mine - it's causing me to be reflective which is difficult at times. Only difficult in terms of not liking what I find, of course. The Lord definitely has a way of using parenthood to teach you about his love for us.
Search me, God, and know my heart.
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24
