Parenting by Design - August 16

Forgiveness and Consequences

2 Sam 12:13-14:  "Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.' And Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.  However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die'" (NASU).

It is important to separate forgiveness from consequences.  In this story, David confessed and repented of his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah.  God forgave David's sins, but He didn't relieve David of a very severe consequence - the death of his son.  Don't you know it grieved God to deliver the consequence to a broken man, but He knew the consequence completed the lesson?

Even when we forgive our child for an act of disobedience, a consequence still is necessary.  It can be tough to follow through with consequences, especially after we've received a sincere apology, but it is necessary in order to teach them that their lives are truly affected by the choices they make.

Forgiveness and consistent consequences are a mark of a parent's love.