“Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin” (Proverbs 21:4 NLT)

This proverbs speaks to the reality that sin is more than an action, but is preceded by an attitude and heart condition. Jesus addressed this reality in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5) when he connected the outward prohibitions of the Decalogue with the attitudes of the heart. Certainly the full understanding of this should drive us to our need for a Savior. For who else can rescue us from this body of death? And as parents, it should also instruct our care for our children, so that our discipline is not just for the action, but aimed at the attitude of the heart. Here again, the desire to shepherd your child’s heart should drive you to your need for Christ’s help.