All’s well that ends well is one of those proverbial threads that form the tapestry of conventional wisdom. In this case the tapestry is threadbare in spots. This thought leads to the idea it doesn’t matter how we get our children to obey as long as they obey. This thinking may well achieve its purpose today, but create serious problems in the years ahead. Specifically I am talking about the distinction between instruction and manipulation when raising children to live for God. In it’s truest sense instruction means to teach children about God and his ways so that they are challenged to long for a deepening relationship with God. (see Deuteronomy 6:5-7 & Ephesians 6:4) Manipulation cares not the for […]
Godward Orientation
188 posts
If you were to ask Christians if they loved their spouse, what answer would you expect? If you were to ask Christians if they loved their children, what answer would you expect? If you were to ask Christians if they ever struggle with joyfully loving their family when their family is unkind to them, what answer would you expect? For most the answers would be yes, yes, and sadly, yes. The Apostle Paul continues explaining what love is not in the remainder of verse five of I Corinthians 13. We have looked at love is not rude. Now here are two more love is not’s: Love is not self-seeking, Love is not easily angered, These two […]
The last issue to consider regarding schoolwork, at least for this series of posts, is what to do when schoolwork is not finished or it is not done well. Let me sound a strong word of caution: this is a complex topic. Parents, you must sort out what are matters that pertain to the struggles with sin and growth that your child has and what are the matters that are related to his schoolwork. Schoolwork assignments add another set of variables that goes beyond the immediate scope of the parent-child relationship. If you tell your child to take out the garbage, or take a few minutes to read to his little brother, the interaction is primarily between you and […]
Giving gifts to yourself is a dangerous activity. It can cost you far more than the price of the gift. No, I am not talking about the present under the tree that is labeled from Dad to Dad. I am talking about the gifts you give to your wife or to your kids. The danger is giving a gift to someone for the pleasure of seeing how much you are appreciated. For example, things are a bit on the difficult side with your teenage son. You give him a new iPhone, thinking that he will be pleased with you. This is where things get dangerous. When your son (or daughter) is not overwhelmed with your gift, you are hurt […]
Our God is truly an awesome God, abounding in mercy, unequaled in power, and relentless in showing his love and care.
Meekness is being willing to give up my rights in order to put others first. Meekness waits for God to bring about justice. Psalm 37:10-11 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. From Get Wisdom
There is a difference between having the truth and loving the truth; only the latter leads to obeying the truth. Dale Ralph Davis
Stress is a common occurrence. Stress is a common cause of emotional struggles. Stress has become part of modern everyday life. Parents feel stress. Children feel stress. Most would say that stress is not a good thing. However, there is a remedy for stress that is easy to miss. That remedy is fear. I know that sounds like a contradiction – fear is one of the things that most often leads to stress. But what is important here is the object of fear. If you have a healthy fear of God then stress in your life will be minimized. Proverbs 3:7-8 describes the process this way: if you believe that you must determine for yourself how to solve the problems […]
Here is quote from Paul Tripp that is worth considerable thought: “I confess that my problem isn’t just that I do bad things, but that I do bad things because I’d rather have what I want than what God has willed for me.” For your older children this truth will help them understand what they do and why. This will help them move beyond being controlled by their own behavior and give them insight into their own hearts. For teenagers, grasping this truth will help free them from what it is that really drives them. This is an insight that will serve them for the rest of their lives! This is an example of “gourmet truth”. Take great care in […]
Jesus gave instructions to his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount about the basics of the Christian life. The sermon is powerful and wide ranging. It is all the more astounding because of its concise nature. Our Lord uses words with remarkable clarity and directness. The sermon is brief yet complete. Through this masterpiece Jesus gives clear directives that are designed by the Holy Spirit to captivate your attention. For example in Matthew 6:9, Christ tells his disciples “this is how you should pray”. What follows is the model for how all of us should pray and how you should teach your children to pray. This one prayer consisting of 57 words in Matthew’s gospel is an infallible primer […]