Encouraging Your Children to Remember Christmas An encouragement to remember Christmas may seem like something that is not really needed. After all, who forgets Christmas, especially children? Well, it is true that few forget about December 25th and it’s associated collection of wrapped treasures. But sometimes the real “why” of Christmas gets lost amidst the busy holiday schedule. Some families attempt to make up for this by reading the Christmas story from Luke on Christmas Eve. However, with the excitement of Christmas morning just a few hours away the familiar bible verses can become part of the blur of the Christmas holiday festivities. The “why” of Christmas is important. The sovereign King of the universe came to earth in human […]
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Your day is busy, Things are running behind schedule. Amber, your six year old is not responding to your directions. She either responds slowly or not at all. But instead of addressing her disobedience immediately, you have fallen into a pattern of repeating your directions and scolding her for not obeying quickly. You find yourself wishing Amber would just obey so you wouldn’t have to become angry and fuss at her. Then all of a sudden, the light bulb comes on! Amber isn’t the problem, you are. You realize that by scolding and continuously repeating yourself, Amber has learned not to take your direction seriously, at least not for the first five times you ask her to obey. You realize […]
Suppose your child has developed a pattern of not coming when he is called. This can easily lead to frustration for both parent and child. Tension can mount until finally the parent decides enough is enough and a confrontation irrupts. This confrontation also may encourage the child to think that the eighth time he or she disobeyed is far worse than the first time. In reality each refusal to come is equally serious. The problem is the same each time – God is being disobeyed. The following scenario assumes that mom has been working with her daughter to change a pattern of being slow to obey. Five year old Jennifer has shown a pattern of not responding quickly […]
When truth about God is our greatest joy, we will help our children interpret life from a biblical perspective. Truths to impress on our children: • Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. It is not found in new jeans, a new iPod, a car, one’s abilities, or exciting, heart-pounding experiences. • We need to walk in wisdom, submit to the goodness of God’s way, and turn away from our own agendas. • A life of prayer and godly counsel is our desire. • Choices that are principled rather than popular, foregoing immediate gratification for the sake of eternal reward, are the goal. • God’s authority structures are a blessing. For an eight-year-old this means I can trust […]
This is the second post in the series What do you think about? Let’s pick up where we left off in I Corinthians 13:5, considering what it looks like to love your children biblically . You can link to part one of this topic here. Love is not self-seeking Love is about not putting yourself first. It is not a good idea to assume that what pleases you and what pleases God are one and the same. For example, do you want a house that is quiet and orderly? Why? Because that is pleasant to you? Or do you want a house full of energy and exuberance? Again, why? If your goal is to satisfy your own preferences and personality, […]
Nancy Ganz is author of the Herein is Love commentary series, a Bible commentary set for children. They are written following the model given to God’s people in Deuteronomy 6—that is, these books talk to children about God and his word. The writing is from the heart to the heart. In other words, the books are written from the heart of a mother and teacher passionately committed to teach the glory of God to her children. Then, the writing is directed to the hearts of children so that the things of God will be deeply impressed upon them. We believe this series to be unique. The material in these commentaries is thoroughly biblical, and it is presented in a warm, […]
In 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul connects leadership with parenting. In doing so he gives a primer on both what it means to be a leader and what it means to be father. Paul begins the discussion of a father’s role in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 by reminding them of his toil and hardship for them: Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. This is a window into Godly manhood. True manliness is marked by deep sacrifice and hardship to provide for those under his care and never be a burden to them. Dads work out their […]
Encouragement is not primarily about solving problems. Encouragement builds relationships. It is primarily about engaging in thoughts and activities that bring honor to God. In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul urges you to focus on things that are excellent and praiseworthy. Here are two practical examples of doing this: Two young children are fussing and complaining. Negative response: “Why can’t you two just be quiet! Being noisy and fussy is a distraction to everybody in this house. I don’t want to hear any more unpleasantness, and I mean it! Do you understand?!?” Response that encourages: “God’s Word says that we should be thankful for each other. Do you remember how we talked about things we can be thankful for about each other? […]
The Christian life is so much more than avoiding negative things. It is primarily about engaging in thoughts and activities that bring honor to God. In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul urges Christians to focus on things that are excellent and praiseworthy. Here are two practical examples of doing this: Two young children are fussing and complaining. Negative response: “Why can’t you two just be quiet! Being noisy and fussy is a distraction to everybody in this house. I don’t want to hear any more unpleasantness, and I mean it! Do you understand?!?” Response that encourages excellence: “God’s Word says that we should be thankful for each other. Sarah, Ethan, remember that we talked about things we can be thankful for about […]
Six year old Jennifer has shown a pattern of not responding quickly to her mother. Mom realizes the problem lies more with her than with Jennifer. Mom had allowed herself to be distracted by other things. So instead of scolding Jennifer for failing to come eight times in a row, mom says this: “Jennifer, please forgive mommy for encouraging you to disobey me this afternoon.” “Mommy, I don’t understand.” “I realized that I have allowed you not to come when I called. Do you remember not quickly obeying mommy?” “Uh, yessss.” “Do you remember how God wants you to obey?” “To do exactly what I am told, right away, with a good attitude.” “Exactly! This is why I am asking […]