The Art of Throwing a Tantrum… Make it Love!

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; 

Remember your first tantrum? Probably not as they usually take place when a child learns about that evil word “NO”!

For most of us it (the tantrum) was triggered by being kept from our mobile investigation of anything on the path of immediate gratification. Without awareness of, or respect for danger, we PURSUE immediate gratification so as to FEAST on the fruit of our insatiable hunger for happiness (whatever that means in the moment).

It is in our human nature to both explore our world and taste of its fruit. It is also in our nature to HATE any and all limitations – natural and/or artificially governed by outside sources – that stand in our way.

I don’t remember my own tantrums (don’t want to remember those I’ve thrown in the last few days). However, being a mom, I’ve witnessed my children, creatively following in my footsteps. Being the age I am, I’ve also witnessed or read about historical tantrum events that some might call breath-taking.

As a parent, these hissy fits of “But I NEED!” are somewhat adorable in their attempt to control their world, as they know it should be. Alas, as a parent, one knows that adorable gets moldy, and smells to high heaven, when not packaged properly… it can even cause debilitating sickness, causing the victim to be unable to process the realities of life.

Once my children declared their knowledge (by the cutting of their eyes toward me and what I asked of them) of the choice they felt they had, tantrums of any sort were no longer tolerated. If they insisted upon telling/showing me their disapproval with noisy threats and angry disparagement of my parental skills, I ended the war with solitary confinement until such time as we could engage in peaceful understanding of the rules of law that THIS HOUSE (my house) operates under.

Simple… NO!

Bloody… NEVER!

Painful… ALWAYS! For parent and child!

There is nothing more heartbreaking (God KNOWS), than hearing your child spew hatred toward you and what you have worked to provide. Most of these moments are nothing but smoke – gone the minute reason returns – unfortunately, in the real world we live in, it is possible that this childhood hatred both lives on and flourishes in those children and/or households who refuse to grow out of hate and into love.

Ephesians 4:14-15 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.

In our world, hatred does happen. No longer is the attempt to demand, manipulate, or bully our way into ruling our world, even remotely cute or understandable. What was once childishness, left unchecked can and often does morph into evil.

EVIL HURTS! Heartbreaking doesn’t even begin to describe the pain and suffering it intends toward its victims.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Our childish tantrums are not evil… they are human. But… our childish tantrums give our enemy the opening through which he can send in his minions of war criminals. And this, my fellow siblings, is the REASON it is imperative that we SHUT DOWN the evil’s doorway (tantrum throwing) and GROW INTO love.

The love of God… our Creator who knows the plans that He has for us, – plans for welfare and not for calamity – plans to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

The Art of Throwing a Tantrum begins with the enemy teaching us to look for a desire yet unfulfilled… Eve “saw” that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that it was desirable to make one wise (Genesis 3:4) A desire that any “reasonable” person would pursue!

The Art of Throwing a Tantrum knows that the desire is not only unfulfilled it is restricted. Eve knew what God said (so did Satan by the way!), and clearly they were living the GOOD LIFE. It wasn’t a question (excuse) of NEED.

The Are of Throwing a Tantrum hinges on dedication to the authority of one’s life… “choose for yourselves today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15)

Please note that Eve never intended to give authority to Satan. Much like the rest of us, Eve was really only considering her own assessment. She never contemplated the consequences of disobeying the rule of law… God’s law.

The Art of Throwing a Tantrum must never consider consequences. IF there are consequences, and IF they are enforced, and IF they cannot be avoided, we can always attempt to sway the verdict by bringing it before the court of public opinion. But in order to WIN the fight, we must push through fear and confront the disagreeable nay sayer with, “I’ll show you!” action.

And then comes… REALITY.

REAL (mostly unwelcome) CONSEQUENCES.

If the consequences of throwing a tantrum were suffered only by the thrower of the tantrum, we would all readily and summarily witness the earned discipline and move on with our lives, hoping that the perpetrator has indeed given up the study of this art form.

Unfortunately, disobeying the rule of law (even when we escape the immediate discipline), has far-reaching ripples that effect our entire world… for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption (Romans 8:20-21). Disobedience ALWAYS ruins the peace and enjoyment of a household… even this household called earth.

I guess there must be many excuses for throwing a grand hissy fit in today’s world. And, I am definitely not saying there isn’t ever a time to unite against an enemy intent upon causing disruption and destruction. However, in hindsight, I wonder if Eve would still believe her assessment and action was worth letting evil have a place in their world.

When we look at our own assessment of what should be, and we choose who we will serve to make it happen… when we throw our tantrums over  a small piece of the fruit (our right to maybe do something, sometime, when and if we want to), instead of seeking to end evil’s reign of terror in our neighbor’s not so blessed land… when we look back will we be proud to say we did it our way?

Will our apple be WORTH the cost of the eating?

Some may laugh at the idea that an apple caused our fall from paradise. I would just remind them that the apple didn’t cause anything, the disregard for the Creator (who gets to make the rules) and the choice to disobey caused the fall.

Some, unfortunately do not recognize the Creator and therefore His right to rule. But none can dispute that there is evil that goes on in this world… where did it come from? And, none can dispute that most, if not all, of the evil, is carried by the hands of a human being who was born and raised just like all of us.

This last weekend, while I watched my sisterhood gather together to be as nasty, no nastier than those they believed wanted to take away their “fruit” (the right to decide what happens in my body) called abortion, I saw a picture of four other members of our sisterhood, in another country, sitting with chains (held by the average terrorist male) waiting to be sold. Their worth sometimes being calculated for a mere pack of cigarettes.  I wonder what their terrorist would have said if they started chanting about their rights to their own bodies.

Both, the women believing and bragging that nasty was the way to show their authority and the men who thought so little of another human being’s dignity, have one source – one cause for such display… evil!

Evil wishes to destroy all that is God declared was “Good’ when He created. Evil laughs when it degrades God’s creation. Jesus wept…

Siblings… we must grow up.

We must throw away our desire to manipulate, bully, and demand our way and ONLY our way.

We must STOP practicing The Art of Throwing a Tantrum…

We must… Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Ephesians 4:31)

We must begin to practice The Art of Throwing a Love Tantrum!

Matthew 5:43-47 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

God’s Word tells us that LOVE NEVER FAILS! (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Oh, and by the way… His Word NEVER returns void! (Isaiah 55:11)

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible