Galatians 5: 22- 23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5: 22-23

Values are caught, not taught. Many of the students who join my classes come in with:

- harsh speech

- much anger

- great impatience.

When asked to lead, they speak to others disrespectfully. From here, I can tell how their parents talk to them at home. Parents are leaders of children. They way they lead children will become the way their children lead others. In time to come, these same children will make enemies with this type of interaction style. In some ways, they will suffer for it well into their future.

In this way, the sins of the forefathers will be visited upon up to 4 generations of descendants.

“You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them. For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and doing mercy to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments”

Deuteronomy 5: 9-10

In one case, the parent provoked the child, who then accidentally broke something when trying to defend himself. The parent exploded and called his child a "f***ing moron." This child joined me with extreme anger management issues. I am not surprised. If I lived with someone who provoked me for the fun of it and then called me a "f***ing moron", I too would have anger management issues.

Happily, this was a Christian family. I was able to anchor the family to Galatians 5:22-23 and use God's word as a beacon of light to pull this family out of darkness into the light.

In another case, the parent kicked his child and hit him with any object that was nearby. I despaired. I wanted to give up and asked God to please not burden me with this case. It was too painful for me. Sometimes, God does tell me that the case is not mine to resolve. In this case, God wanted me to persevere. I felt lost and incapable. Then, the child told me this, "Dr. Pet, I read Galatians 5:22-23 every day. My father also reads it, daily. He is much kinder to me now. I too, know how to be kind now."

A chorus of angels sang in my head.

God can change people even when Dr. Pet cannot. I was a very different person before 2004. In 2004, I read Proverbs 21's Noble Wife daily every day. The first time I read Proverbs 31, I despaired too. I railed at God and told him that he had overly high standards. Nobody can be that woman in Proverbs 31. God said, "Even if you cannot, you must still try."

Reading that chapter everyday changed me. I went from being weak to being strong. I went from victim to victor. I went from afraid to courageous. I went from faithless to faithful. 

God can do anything.