Playing a Game of Semantics with God

So we're at the dinner table and my 8 year old son is talking to my 4 year old daughter and having a fun conversation. However, often it turns from having a fun conversation to chaos quite quickly! I don't care about talking at the dinner table, but it’s not a time to get out of your seat, chase another, scream, and play games.

I'm sure I'm the only one who deals with this right?!

So then I have to settle things down. "Sit down, no talking until you finish eating!"

So now my son sits down and stops talking, but the chaos doesn't always stop. Dad said 'no talking' so that means that making silly faces until my sister is laughing hysterically is ok right? Making other more creative sounds with my mouth other than talking is ok right?

Again, I'm sure I'm the only one who deals with this right?!

He's playing a game of semantics with my instruction. I don't do that right?

Unfortunately that's not the case with me. Too often I find myself in prayer telling God that I will work on something, when later I seem to find loopholes in my promise. "Well, I didn't say I would tackle that

Why did I come to God in the first place? For help in making me more like His Son. However I can hardly be made into the image of Christ when I keep finding loopholes around the very things I want to fix and came to Him with in the first place!

I need to stop playing semantics with God ... it only hurts me, and slows down my journey. It's not a matter of being better, it's a matter of knowing and loving Him more and all the joy and blessings that come from that relationship.

Abiding in Him,

~Matthew