Sincerely Wrong - ROTB (Religion Outside the Box)

No one could have faulted his sincerity, dear God. He wanted his children to be good children so he punished them severely every time they did something wrong. With every wrong step on their part his punishment grew more extreme. More harsh. The motivation for his cruelty was sincere enough: he simply wanted his children, above all else, to be good children even if he had to beat them into submissive goodness.

But, dear Lord, are the motives that guide our actions in life the only basis for the judgment we receive for what we do? Are good motives an adequate justification for bad conduct? Can any person ever be excused for doing something for someone's supposed good when that something ends up destroying the other person? I know you honor a sincere heart, 0 God, but isn't it possible to be sincerely wrong when we bring the entire sky down around a person's ankles with our pure intentions?

Help me to be more sincere, dear God, but keep my sincere intentions from bringing unjustified pain to the people around me. Help me to not cripple my little children or others though my sincere but misguided efforts in guiding them to walk the good path in life. Prevent me from becoming a good parent in the worst sense of the term.
O Lord, my prayer to you is that you will restore in me a feeling of contentment. These envious feelings are robbing me of my contentment. Help me to rid myself of my desires for what others have so I can more fully enjoy the abundance of what I already have. I know for certain the price I am paying for wanting more is not worth the pain I am feeling for wishing for it. Lead me to a satisfaction that would never wish for someone else to possess less just so I could possess a little more.

Love,

Larry.

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