Laying Down the Rails – Obedience

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  • Erin Wisehart
    Participant

    Hi,

    I am reviewing Lesson 2 under Obedience in Laying Down the Rails for Children. In view of CMs stance that a disobedient child is actually a weak-willed child, and that one must exercise the will by doing what one ought in order to make the will stronger and form the habit of obedience, I am confused about this lesson. It states that willfulness can be the same thing as disobedience, and gives the example of Satan tempting Jesus with acts of willfulness. So does this mean that willfulness would be similar to having a weak-will? The wording just seems confusing on that. Can someone shed light? Thanks 🙂

    Sonya Shafer
    Moderator

    Charlotte defined willfulness as being controlled by one’s passions, desires, emotions, and appetites. And that is what Satan was tempting Jesus to do. It was not necessarily sinful to turn stones to bread, but it would have been giving in to physical appetite during a season of intentional fasting and spiritual focus. Jumping off the high place without being hurt would have brought Jesus attention and glory; however, that was not the direction of God’s plan for salvation. Doing so would have been giving in to a desire for fame and self-importance. And then Satan crossed the line when he said, “Worship me”; for that directly violated God’s commandment; but he was still appealing to the desires and passions that are so succinctly summarized in 1 John 2:16.

    I think James 1:14 speaks to this topic too: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”

    Erin Wisehart
    Participant

    Ok great, thank you Sonya. So I was equating willfulness with having a strong will and it was not making sense. But if I am understanding correctly, willfulness is similar to being weak-willed according to the way CM thought about it.

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