It’s campaign season. Which means it’s promise-breaking season. But politicians aren’t the only ones who make promises that can’t or won’t be kept. The pursuit of pleasure promises freedom but leads to slavery. Hard work promises fulfillment but often leads to hard times and broken relationships. Possessions promise contentment, but often result in disappointment and envy. Education promises answers, but leaves us with more questions. King David believed the promise offered by his lustful glance at Bathsheba would bring him satisfaction. How did that work out for him? The modern world is not so different than the ancient world. This is the message that you are to tell your children. You must prepare your children for a world which […]
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“Mommy, Heather was really mean to me today at school. I thought she was my best friend! I am really, really sad. I just want to stay home and not go back, ever.” Your daughter has just experienced how cruel and sad life can be. Yet through all of this she can know and experience joy. To do this she needs the Holy Spirit’s fruit. What brings joy to you profoundly impacts your children’s understanding of joy. Biblical joy is unique. It is the Spirit’s fruit. It cannot be reproduced apart from his work. There is, of course, joy that manifests itself in the human spirit. It comes from being encouraged by positive, happy circumstances. That is good, but there […]
Self-control is the fruit of the Spirit. In other words it is the evidence, the legacy of the Spirit’s work in the life of God’s people. This means we are talking about more than just physical or mental discipline. Any human can show control over these things. But only someone who is born of the Spirit of God can practice biblical self-control. This is why the biblical definition that Ruth Younts gives for self-control is vital for your children. Self-control is the ability to say no to my wrong desires and yes to what God wants me to do.” This is why the gospel must be the center-piece of your parenting. As a parent you are to constantly teach your […]
Wisdom teaches your child that telling the truth is more than just saying things that are true. Being truthful means speaking accurately, without exaggerating or being misleading. Your child needs wisdom to be truthful. Truth telling is a conscious effort to supply accurate information that honors God and not self. It is possible to say things that are accurate and still hide the truth. This is the distinction that you must teach to your children. No child is born wise. Wisdom is a skill that must be acquired. If you are waiting for your child to grow up and begin to make wise choices, you will be waiting a long time. In order to be truthful, wisdom is required. This […]
We desire God’s mercy while we expect, and even demand, to be treated with fairness. Desiring fairness is a black hole that leads to anger, frustration, disappointment, and struggles in relationships. Where would you and I be if God treated us fairly? In pride, I want to say I don’t deserve unfair treatment. But such thinking is not sound. To demand fairness is to live without the fear of God. To demand fairness is to live like a fool, to live as if there were no God. Yes, we must treat others with fairness but it is not something that we should demand for ourselves. Rather we must trust God to be our advocate. If we obey God’s commands and […]
In the context of our various trials we need wisdom to know how to function in those trials and circumstances; it is available from a giving God, and we are to ask for it (James 1:5). Our need is no different from Israel’s. We need not only the power of God to overwhelm our obvious enemies but also the wisdom of God to detect our subtle enemies. Unfortunately, the church too often craves God’s power while it ignores God’s wisdom. Dale Ralph Davis
Jesus delivers a subtle warning in the Sermon on the Mount about the danger of manipulation. Look at Luke 6:32-33: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that…” If you do good to get something good you are involved in manipulation. So, if your parental discipline is primarily designed to make things at home go more smoothly, you are doing good to get good. The rich young man in Matthew 19 had outwardly kept the commandments because he saw the value of being good. Most likely, […]
I don’t like correction. There I said it. I like to be right. More importantly, I like it even more when you think I am right. By openly admitting these things I have also shown a propensity for stupidity. This is but another reminder of the danger of being wise in my own eyes. If I care most about being right, I care most about myself. This is not wisdom but stupidity. If I am to learn, I must first love discipline and rebuke. When I recoil at the correction and rebuke of those closest to me, I make myself weak. Instead of trying to find a way to challenge a rebuke, God wants me to first learn from that […]
What is there about schoolwork that should point to the gospel? Their schoolwork is sent to them by God! Schoolwork is a wonderful opportunity to teach your kids how God is involved in the most intimate details of life. Therefore, schoolwork becomes an opportunity to call your children to faith in Christ. So, when your children are not motivated to do schoolwork, your first step is to encourage them to trust God. He didn’t make a mistake. He actually ordained that they would have this work to do at this time. Encourage your children to trust God’s wisdom in providing their work for them. God has not made a mistake in giving the assignment, even if the human teacher did! Encourage your […]
Want to create some havoc in your home? Try cutting off the flow of social media to your kids. That’s right. Put all iPhones, Android phones, tablets and computers in a safe and lock them away. Then for good measure, disconnect any cable, DSL, satellite or any other internet connections to your home. Next, see what happens. There are many who think this would be the perfect solution to solve the relational issues your children struggle with. But does this really solve anything? Outside influence has always been in issue with raising children and, to be honest, for adults as well. Lot chose to live in an attractive city that had plenty of water for crops. It was well populated […]