Now for the consequences. Picking up where we left off yesterday.

Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

The lesson has to be there are always consequences for sin. No offense can go without some consequence no matter how small. Key in this is the need for the consequence to be appropriate in size to the offence. While some might argue that God’s punishment for the offence was not appropriate allow me to remind them that Adam just caused all creation to be cast out of paradise. God warned Adam when He gave the command.

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

It is not like Adam had the excuse of not being warned. Likewise parents need to set boundaries, limits and warnings of consequences for violation. While babies need liberty, we cannot entreat them like babies their whole lives. Lessons of acceptable behavior are taught, they are no instinctual.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

There is much wisdom in the proverbs and it should be taught in the home. The standard for right behavior has to be right relationship.

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Psalm 18:21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

The psalms are good relationship teachings.

Continued from yesterday.

Genesis 3:14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Here is a part often overlooked by parents. God dealt with their excuses for the sin committed. If we do not deal with the excuses before settling on the correction those excuses will remain within the emotions and any punishment will rest upon the excuse and not be taken to heart. Remember the heart condition and the relationship must be the goal of correction. If the excuse is not removed, there is the risk of resentment for the correction and it will not be received as a loving act.

At the core of excuses is the irrational justification of action. They will not be seen as irrational unless addressed. Speaking truth in love is essential here because over reacting in the moment and disproportional hyperbole build defensive fences and the goal is to keep those defensive walls down. We cannot have these discussion while angry. Punishment should never be performed in anger. They are children, we need to be the adults in this situation.

I cannot address every irrational justification for the mistakes our children make. It takes a parent who knows their child to understand when the root cause is determined and then how best to cut it. We should never make lite of it and address the cause separate from the child. It must be seen as a separate action aside from correction and not part of the punishment. This is essential in maintaining the relationship between parent and child.

Now for the consequences.

Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;