Deceptively Devious
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."-- Proverbs 22:6
The bestselling book, Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld is receiving accolades and praise from the four corners of the recipe reading world...especially among parents who want their children to eat broccoli. The book, like its popular predecessor, The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine, teaches busy parents how to disguise healthy stuff like vegetables as fun food like macaroni and cheese. This way, children will get the healthy nutrients they need but they won't know it. And more importantly, they will think they are only eating the fun stuff they love so parents won't have to fight with them over eating their veggies. The reviews for these books are soaked with praise for ending the constant dinner time battle between mom and tot over eating the green good for you foods. The moral of the story is, to get your kid to eat what they should -- simply deceive them. A lie is not a lie, after all, if in the end it is good for you.
Once upon a time, in an America not so far away, the emphasis of parenting was to teach your children. Train them up in the way that they should go. Also in that far away time and place, parents exercised a degree of sovereignty over their children to the extent that the kids generally did what they were told in order to avoid punishment. A typical conversation, drawn from the dusty archives of such a time might have gone something like this:
Jason's Mother: "Eat your broccoli, son."
Little Jason: "No. I don't like broccoli."
Jason's Mother: "Eat your broccoli. It's good for you."
Little Jason: "No!"
Jason's Father: "Eat your broccoli or I'll spank you."
Little Jason eats his broccoli.
The thing about this historic scenario is that Little Jason learned two valuable lessons. One -- broccoli is good for him and he should eat it. Two -- He should do what he's told or he'll get his hide tanned.
One thing that is very clear in the Bible is that the relationship that our parents have with us (especially our father) is an illustration for the relationship that God has with us. As Christians, we are His children and enjoy the same kind of unconditional love that our parents have for us. In addition to the outpouring of love, is the necessity and efficacy of the rod. Our parents have something to teach us and without those lessons we will be completely unprepared for the cruel world in which we will someday emerge as adults.
The same with God. He wants to prepare us for our Heavenly home by making us more like Christ. This requires training. This requires discipline.
What if God had read Deceptively Delicious or The Sneaky Chef and decided that such was a good way to deal with us. He would then work to disguise what is good for us in the things that we want. Our focus would be on our felt needs and what we desire instead of what we needed to learn was good for us so that it might be pursued. We would seem to have everything just the way we wanted it and we wouldn't know anything about what God really willed or desired for us. We would talk all day long about the blessings and never have to worry about dealing with trials or affliction.
Been to a mainline church lately?
Although I don't like the rod when it comes from my Heavenly Father (and it comes often) I am more glad that He does not deceive me. He tells me what is good for me. He tells me what I need to hear and not what I want to hear. I struggle and wrestle with affliction and hardship because I know that in the end, He is doing what is best for me. The goal is to enjoy Him in Heaven forever, and for the great gift of salvation that He won for me, I want to please Him. He doesn't hide what is necessary in a gooey ball of cotton candy. He gives it to me straight and unambiguously in His word.
I know what will happen if I disobey. I know what will happen if I obey. I didn't come into this world knowing this, He had to teach me. But I had to learn about sovereignty and obedience from my dad before I could appreciate how it works with my Father.
So, parents, you aren't doing your kids any favors by hiding the cauliflower in with the cheese. Raising your children in a culture of deception may be easier for you now...but you both will pay for it later. Don't deceive them. Train them. Just as our Heavenly Father trains us: in truth and in love.
"Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" --Ephesians 4:15
The bestselling book, Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld is receiving accolades and praise from the four corners of the recipe reading world...especially among parents who want their children to eat broccoli. The book, like its popular predecessor, The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine, teaches busy parents how to disguise healthy stuff like vegetables as fun food like macaroni and cheese. This way, children will get the healthy nutrients they need but they won't know it. And more importantly, they will think they are only eating the fun stuff they love so parents won't have to fight with them over eating their veggies. The reviews for these books are soaked with praise for ending the constant dinner time battle between mom and tot over eating the green good for you foods. The moral of the story is, to get your kid to eat what they should -- simply deceive them. A lie is not a lie, after all, if in the end it is good for you.
Once upon a time, in an America not so far away, the emphasis of parenting was to teach your children. Train them up in the way that they should go. Also in that far away time and place, parents exercised a degree of sovereignty over their children to the extent that the kids generally did what they were told in order to avoid punishment. A typical conversation, drawn from the dusty archives of such a time might have gone something like this:
Jason's Mother: "Eat your broccoli, son."
Little Jason: "No. I don't like broccoli."
Jason's Mother: "Eat your broccoli. It's good for you."
Little Jason: "No!"
Jason's Father: "Eat your broccoli or I'll spank you."
Little Jason eats his broccoli.
The thing about this historic scenario is that Little Jason learned two valuable lessons. One -- broccoli is good for him and he should eat it. Two -- He should do what he's told or he'll get his hide tanned.
One thing that is very clear in the Bible is that the relationship that our parents have with us (especially our father) is an illustration for the relationship that God has with us. As Christians, we are His children and enjoy the same kind of unconditional love that our parents have for us. In addition to the outpouring of love, is the necessity and efficacy of the rod. Our parents have something to teach us and without those lessons we will be completely unprepared for the cruel world in which we will someday emerge as adults.
The same with God. He wants to prepare us for our Heavenly home by making us more like Christ. This requires training. This requires discipline.
What if God had read Deceptively Delicious or The Sneaky Chef and decided that such was a good way to deal with us. He would then work to disguise what is good for us in the things that we want. Our focus would be on our felt needs and what we desire instead of what we needed to learn was good for us so that it might be pursued. We would seem to have everything just the way we wanted it and we wouldn't know anything about what God really willed or desired for us. We would talk all day long about the blessings and never have to worry about dealing with trials or affliction.
Been to a mainline church lately?
Although I don't like the rod when it comes from my Heavenly Father (and it comes often) I am more glad that He does not deceive me. He tells me what is good for me. He tells me what I need to hear and not what I want to hear. I struggle and wrestle with affliction and hardship because I know that in the end, He is doing what is best for me. The goal is to enjoy Him in Heaven forever, and for the great gift of salvation that He won for me, I want to please Him. He doesn't hide what is necessary in a gooey ball of cotton candy. He gives it to me straight and unambiguously in His word.
I know what will happen if I disobey. I know what will happen if I obey. I didn't come into this world knowing this, He had to teach me. But I had to learn about sovereignty and obedience from my dad before I could appreciate how it works with my Father.
So, parents, you aren't doing your kids any favors by hiding the cauliflower in with the cheese. Raising your children in a culture of deception may be easier for you now...but you both will pay for it later. Don't deceive them. Train them. Just as our Heavenly Father trains us: in truth and in love.
"Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" --Ephesians 4:15
posted by The Lazarus Commission | 1:15 PM
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