Do you ever feel that finding all the resources you need for successful parenting is an impossible task? On any given day, a parent may need to have handy a child psychology manual, a fix-it-yourself instruction guide, a volume on basic theology, and a good book on emergency first aid!
While you may not find all of those on our website, we believe you will find the resources here to be practical, invaluable, and uplifting as you seek to shape the hearts of your children. With these tools at your side, you can begin to see the role of parenting as not only one of the most challenging experiences but also one of the most rewarding.
Unless dealt with appropriately, conflicts lead to permanent breakdowns in our relationships that time alone cannot heal. If we wish to cultivate healthy relationships, especially with our children, reconciliation is essential. But…how?
Every family has headaches and heartaches. Because human depravity runs deep, it is impossible to rear our children from infancy to independence without encountering times that call for straight talk and tough love. While we love our children no matter what, parents cannot escape those occasions when wills clash, rebellion reaches an impasse, and things get downright impossible.
Having learned some key words in the Bible that pertain to delighting in our offspring, we now need to think about some practical ways we can do just that. As you consider these remember, your children won’t forget the occasions you make to take joy in them. Delightful memories last forever.
While parents need to stand firm on issues that call for a strong hand, disciplining our children must never eclipse delighting in them! Throughout the fabric of Scripture, God has woven numerous statements underscoring the importance of not only expressing but also demonstrating affirmation, encouragement, gentleness, fun, tenderness, and affection toward our children.
Being a parent is one of life’s most delightful and rewarding experiences. At the same time, it can be one of life’s most exasperating and demanding challenges. Parenting works best when we are loving and understanding, consistent and calm in our reactions, and wise and mature in our actions and attitudes. But who on earth does all of that all the time?
We know that we are all sinful and in need of salvation, but often, we fail to consider that we bear the specific “bents” of our parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents. When we think about it, all of us must admit the direct link between the people we have become and the lives of those who formed our heritage—for good and for ill.
Can we trace certain acts of iniquity back to our ancestors? The answer is “yes.” The sinful “bents” of our ancestors do not stop with their deaths. Wise are the parents who understand this, observe it in their children, and deal with it appropriately in order to bring an end to long-standing familial iniquity.
No matter how hard parents try, children are determined to go in a direction different from the parents’ desire, and the rebellion persists. What went wrong? What’s missing from this domestic equation? Why is the battle so difficult? The problem boils down to the natural “bents” in every baby.
If we hope to get parenting right, we must know and follow the vital truths and principles God has recorded for us in His Word. The best parenting starts with discovering who your child is. Amazingly, in the process you may also discover yourself!
Dads, what will your legacy be? It’s never too late to make positive changes. Your godly influence will impact your family for generations to come.
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Insight for Living is committed to excellence in communicating the truths of Scripture and the Person of Jesus Christ in an accurate, clear, and practical manner so that people will come to an understanding of God’s plan for their lives, as well as their significant role as authentic Christians in a needy, hostile, and desperate world.
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