DIVIDED HEART.

I say then: Walk in the Spirit , and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Galatians 5:16-17

     We experience this in our home daily...hourly and some times moment by moment! Between the 5 of us there is a good chance that someone is "in the flesh"or having a bad attitude.  There are those wonderful moments of play were we are having family wrestles and for a moment everyone is smiling and having a blast...and then some one wacks someone else in the face and the training begins!  Conflict resolution is called "doing business" in our home.  We do a lot of business....kid to kid, parent to kid, and parent to parent! 

     Where does it all come from?  SIN!  For those of us that have trusted Christ with our lives and hearts there is a battle going on all the time.  Are we going to walk in the newness Christ has given us through salvation?  Living out the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us?  Love, peach joy, self- control and so on.  Or are we going to function as the old person not saved by grace?  Walking in the "flesh," a self-centered existence. 

      Our oldest Troy has been really struggling this last week.  Paul has been working his regular hours and then going to the old house to get it rent ready each eventing.  When we have weeks that the kids don't get the Dad time they desire there is a shift in behavior.  Everyone is more sensitive and a touch quicker to meltdowns.  At nap time yesterday we ran into this lack of Dad behavior in Troy.  I laid down with him and said "let talk. "  "What is going on in your heart right now?"  "I don't know."  Isn't that the truth!  So often I find myself asking my kids a question that they don't know themselves enough to know how to answer me.  He didn't know what was wrong.  He doesn't totally get this battle going on in his heart between the flesh and the spirit (Troy has accepted Christ).  "Mom, I need my heart to be cleaned!  It is just so dirty.  I feel so angry.  I don't really know what I am thinking I am just mad that I don't get my Dad!"  We prayed.  Troy asked God why he doesn't get his Dad and asked Him to clean his heart so he could be happy.  As he prayed I asked the Lord to show me a way to teach him what is going on inside him in terms that are on his level and  in line with Galatians 5. 

     This morning we had some bad attitude BEFORE BREAKFAST!  I sent my little man Tory to his room got the others set up with their food.  As I walked down the hall I was asking the Lord what the feel of the correction needs to be.  We have done a lot of firm lately.  I felt like gentle and instructive was the theme.  I climbed up on the top bunk with him.  He had calmed and handed me his puppy to snuggle.  I asked him again.  What is going on?  Again he didn't know how to answer...."Oh shoot Lord I am doing it again.  Show me how to ask him questions that help him understand himself better." "Troy, do you sometimes feel crazy in your heart?"  "Yes."  "Does the crazy happen a lot before you make a bad choice?"  "Yes!"  "May I teach you what is happening?"  "Yeah."  "Well, I know a little about this because I still feel crazy in my heart before I make bad choices too.  The Bible teaches us that there is a battle going on in our hearts.  A WAR!"  This peek his interest as he is all boy!  " We have to parts to our heart."  I made half a heart with one hand and explained.  "This half of our hearts loves Jesus, it knows the truth and loves to make good choices."  Keeping that half shown and making the other hand into the other half of the heart I said, "This half of our heart is super yucky.  It doesn't want to obey Jesus.  It just wants to be selfish and all about it self."  I then put my hands together to form a heart.  "This is your heart.  One half loves Jesus and the other half just loves yourself.  They are constantly fighting.  (I then punched my fist together) Your heart has a battle going on.  The side that will win is up to you.  Which side do you want to win?"  He pointed to the side that loves Jesus.  "You know how you make it stronger that the other half...you keep talking to Jesus when you are upset and happy, you go to church and learn more about Jesus and you obey Mom and Dad because we teach you how to live a wonderful life."  We proceeded to punch our fists together and play heart battle!  He got it! The lights turned on!  I said, "Would you like to pray about those sides of your heart?" Also I taught him that the Bible calls the sides flesh and spirit. 

Troy: Jesus, please make my, whats this side again Mom? 
Me:The Spirit. 
Troy: Oh yeah the Spirit stronger so it can beat up the...what's this side again Mom
Me:  the flesh
Troy: so it can beat up the flesh, beat it up so much it can never get up and make me angry! AMEN

     The best part about teaching is that You usually have to learn it before you can teach it.  Desiring to teach him this has called my attention back to the battle going on in my own heart constantly. Oh how I desire to walk in the Spirit and be that example to my little ones.