“We as Christians have joined a culture determined to DEMAND our rights!”

At the beginning of this school year, the teachers cracked down with detentions. Now in defense of the teachers, I have been in the classroom enough years to understand the types of things that were being targeted—coming to class unprepared, needing to use the bathroom after the bell has rung, and unfinished work. But I’m also a mother, and I understand the other side also. My twins were entering seventh grade which always has been a big jump at our school. The whole world of lockers, three-minute breaks between classes, harder assignments, and a bigger homework load has been an adjustment for most of the students I know! A big adjustment! In the middle of all this overwhelming adjustment came the crackdown! My twins were getting detentions for things like trying to fit in a bathroom break in the two minutes they had in between lunch and the next class (which are in two totally different buildings). The sense of fairness wanted to kick in. I wondered what the adults would do if when they were in the bathroom, moms stood outside the bathroom, yelling in, “You’ve been in there longer than two minutes! Your time is up!”

Do we need to submit when things do not make sense to us? Do we need to submit even if the rules are unfair? Are we hindering the softening that comes with submission? Are we turning into self-appointed judges? Because once we start down this path, I know from experience, it’s hard to stop! Other issues are affected. Things are related that we are not aware of. Are we robbing our own peace? Are we robbing our children of growth?

There have been times in the last thirteen years when things got a little uncomfortable. There was the year that my oldest sat crying on the couch in third grade because he had to write out all the answers to a history checkup. The time when cursive was overwhelming. There have been times that I have felt I was supposed to be my child’s advocate. But we really need to watch the level of agitation we have during those times.

We as Christians have joined a culture determined to DEMAND our rights! This goes cross grain with so many of Christ’s sermons. It also goes cross grain from where He has led me.
Many times, I have felt it was the right time to back off. Most of the times that I have chosen to back off, things have smoothed out. Even my child who was getting detentions for taking too long in the bathroom was able to brainstorm on how to solve his own problem. He came up with a creative solution of when to go to the bathroom.

As much as we love our children, copping an attitude that isn’t remotely holiness does not do anything for their long-term character development. No! Submit. Submit. Submit. Pattern it for your children! I know I have failed, but I’m so glad for every time that I got it right, when I learned the lesson that God was patiently trying to teach me! Let’s climb up a little higher!

(In my ears, I seem to hear an outcry from parents from today’s post. I am hoping that no one is thinking I am telling you that you can never go through proper channels to solve a problem. But we do ourselves and our children a disservice when we cop an attitude. We may win the battle and lose the war! I have often been impressed with a woman in our church, Carol Epp. Once, she felt there was an unjust detention given to her foster daughter.  After Carol tried to advocate for the girl, she found that she could not do anything to help.  She told the girl, “I believe you. I don’t believe you did what you said you didn’t do.  Joseph in the Bible was accused when he was innocent also. I’m asking you to go to school and accept the punishment with a good attitude.” The girl grasped the submission that Carol was asking of her. Do I grasp the submission God is asking of me?)