Character development is connected to acquiring wisdom. Biblical wisdom is not the same as human intellect. We can be born bright. But with regard to wisdom, we are all born fools! During the middle years, the focus of your instruction should be to build wisdom and not correcting behavior.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
20 posts
Tedd Tripp has defined building character in children as honoring God when parents are not around to give direction. This is a wise consideration. The middle years, ages 5-12, are a time of transition. When your child is 5 he is seldom out of your sight. When he is 12 it is quite the opposite. Your parenting must focus on the times when your child is not in your sight. Having this perspective should give shape to your authoritative instruction. If you focus on bargaining, scolding or frustration, these actions provide reasons for your middle children to turn away. This is why pleasant words are essential. They must accompany every aspect of your parenting. (Proverbs 16:20-24) Discipline must always point […]
People were designed by God to worship. The tragic reality of the fall is that we have lost our ability to know whom to worship. So, we worship what Tim Keller calls counterfeit gods. This is the worship we were born to as fallen creatures. It is the enemy’s scheme that when we participate in corporate worship we do so to earn God’s favor. Even when we sing and offer praise our hearts often yearn for the counterfeit. But our God is a jealous God. He will not share his glory with our counterfeit pretenders. May we see God for who he is, not for what we want him to be. May we say with the […]
The big issue during these middle years is character. Your child’s character must be developed in several areas. You want your child to learn dependability, honesty, kindness, consideration, helpfulness, diligence, loyalty, humility, self-control, moral purity, and a host of other character qualities. You can’t be with him all the time. He must know what to do in situations that you cannot anticipate. He needs biblical wisdom. His conscience must develop as the reasoning factor of the soul so that he will know what he ought to do even when you are not there. Tedd Tripp
In recent posts we have looked at events such as the passage and subsequent reversal of the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996. We also looked at the response surrounding Senate candidate Richard Mourdock’s view of abortion. If we add these two stories to the growing pile of news stories that demonstrate a national rejection of biblical principals, a common question emerges: How did we get here? I certainly don’t have all the answers. The lack of honor and respect for the Bible is one factor. Failure to consistently embrace evangelism by the church is another. The embrace of sexual immorality in its many forms, is certainly another. There are countless answers. Personally, I tend to look for historical […]
Trust is believing and doing what God tells me in the Bible, even when it is hard to do. From Get Wisdom
Last night Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock made headlines when asked about his views on exceptions that would allow for an abortion. Here is what he said according to an article in USA Today: Asked whether abortion should be allowed in cases of rape or incest, Mourdock said, “I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God. And, I think, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.” This post should not be taken as an endorsement for Mourdock or for either presidential candidate. What I want to focus on is this question: […]
We don’t worship God to appease him. We don’t give to God to impress him. We don’t love God to flatter him. We don’t obey God to make him like us. We don’t pray to God to show our piety. We don’t praise God because he needs us to. We worship, give, love, obey, pray, and praise God simply because he is who he is!
The Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 was signed by President Clinton and became law. The problem with this bill was that it made the institution of marriage, the definition of marriage, and who is eligible for marriage subject to the rule of man-made law. If a law is man-made it can be changed. So, we should not be surprised that the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. This ruling was made because marriage was defined as a union between a man and a woman. This is what happens when institutions created by God are apparently made subject to the will of man. There is a certain irony in saying that […]
Here is a great comment and question from Maia on yesterday’s post: “Could you give a real-life or real-life like example of this in action. So Johnny is hitting his little brother. How do we correct this issue without setting Johnny up to learn the formula of what I did was wrong, I paid the price. My husband and I are living this right now and our prayer is that we will parent the way God desires.” Glad that you asked! Godly discipline always points to Christ. This is what Ephesians 6:4 is all about. Simply correcting behavior without challenging the heart is nothing more than manipulation. This leads to self-sufficiency, resignation, or rebellion. So, Paul says that children are […]