Just like Putting on a Coat

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."  Isaiah 61:3 (KJV Italics mine)

As adults, we've all had times when we were down about this or that and then we forced ourselves to praise God. Suddenly, we noticed the feeling of heaviness lifting off of us. I know for myself, it works every time!

I love the verse in Isaiah that talks about an actual garment of praise which will replace the spirit of heaviness. It is powerful truth, so how do we encourage our children to try this? Have you ever tried to force your child to sing a praise song when they were in a bad mood? I have, and it hasn't worked for me! I can't force them to praise. Choosing to praise is an act similar to that of putting on a coat. I can give you a coat, but unless you lift your arms and put it on, it won't keep you warm.

Just last week, as I was driving my children to school, three of my kids began bickering in the back seat. It was the second day in a row that fighting broke out on our 15 minute drive. Trust me when I say that by the time we got to school everyone was in a bad mood, and you could feel the heaviness in our van. Noticing this bad pattern, I decided to try a different approach the next morning. We got into the car and as soon as the bickering began I simply turned on the childrens praise CD I had secretly inserted earlier. By the end of the second song, most of my kids were singing along and the rest of the ride to school was delightful! They even began talking about "funny" things that had happened to them recently. What a delightful change!

Hey, sometimes us Mom's need to be sneaky in our teaching!