Willfulness vs. Disobedience

A lot of times people with disobedient children will say “My child is so strong-willed!” Wrong. The child is weak-willed. Charlotte said that a child who is able to make himself to that which he ought is strong-willed. A child who cannot make himself do as he should is weak-willed. 

In our house, we tell our children we want them to have strong wills. But in order for them to strengthen their will and make it strong, they have to exercise it just like exercise makes our bodies stronger. Every time they make themselves do something they ought, even when they don’t feel like it, we tell them they have made their will stronger and praise them for it.

Disobedience goes along with having a weak will. When a child is told to do something and they argue, don’t do it immediately, are disrespectful to the parent, or just don’t do as they’ve been told, they are disobeying. Their will is weak because they are not making themselves do what they ought even though they don’t want to. 

Does that make sense? Or help?

Lindsey, that was amazingly clear!  Thank you!

There are some biblical truths to this, as well.  I love the proverb that says,”He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Proverbs 16:32. I think this could apply; either way, I do love this truth.

Maybe James Dobson should retitle his book The Strong-Willed Child to The Weak-Willed Child, seriously.

I have some other thoughts on this, but I’m not feeling well today and could only muster this: I have long thought this myself about some folks I’ve encountered in my life and how they, who seemed to be “strong”, were in fact, very weak.  They could not manage their own lives, do what was right (for right’s sake), and were all around messed up.  Their will to do what was right had not been “exercised” as LindseyD has so perfectly stated.  I don’t know why, but it just hadn’t been.  I’m guessing that somewhere a parent/guardian did not expect that, but then again, I do see it that some people just choose to make the choices that they make.  Make sense?  It does, in a sense, all boil down to choices (for all of us). 

Hopefully I’m on the right track, I’m not feeling 100% today.

The only story in the bible (that I can remember) where it talks specifically about Jesus being tempted was when he was out in the wilderness for 40 days praying and fasting and at the end of that time Satan came and tempted him but Jesus rebuked him each time with scripture. Matthew 4:1-11.

Is this what you meant?

-Miranda

Jesus character and strong will are what served him well to help him resist the temptations that Satan had placed before him so that He would not disobey The Lord, His Father. This is how I think she may have meant it.