Everyone Else's Sin

A few nights ago, I was reading with Daniel a devotional out of My ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God's Word in Little Hearts, which provides a devotional based on a verse or a topic for each letter of the alphabet, starring Bill and Missy, the fictional protagonists. "A soft answer turns away wrath" (Proverbs 15:1) was the topic du jour, and we read about how Missy was reminded of this verse when Bill angrily lashed at her for the audacity to ask to borrow his toy truck. Missy gave a soft response (instead of succumbing to the temptation of calling him a 'poopyhead' or something along those lines) and a shamed and convicted Bill apologized and handed over his toy. Good times.

In any case, it was a timely devotional, because it was the same day that almost the exact situation occurred with Daniel and Sophia. During an argument over the unauthorized playing of his trains, Daniel screamed at Sophia that she was 'bad' and the 'meanest person in our family' and Sophia angrily debating that point. I was thrilled that this devotional would be a spot-on teaching opportunity.

So I asked, "Daniel, can you think of a time today when you could have used a soft answer to turn away anger?"

Daniel paused for a second and said, "Yes. Daddy, you should not yell at mommy." To which I replied, "Daniel, we're talking about you, not me. But yes, I shouldn't yell at mommy." And then I proceeded to spank him for his insubordination. Kidding.

The exchange illustrates the common phenomena of how our "sin" radar is so finely tuned outwards and I was clearly as guilty as my son. He somehow missed that the devotional applied to him and my first instinct was that the devotional was most prophetic in his life, not mine. We read Scripture or hear a sermon and we sometimes think, "If only Person X were hearing this. Yeah, this totally justifies my self-righteous anger and indignation," when we somehow miss the applicability of the admonishment in our own lives.

So yes Daniel, I need to hide Proverbs 15:1 in my heart far better than I do.