I've been thinking a lot lately on training up children. It started last week as I caught myself using the "o" word with my little girl after she away from me with something in her hand she shouldn't have: "Hannah, you must obey Mommy. When I call you to me, you need to come." But she's only 15 months (well, 16 months come Sunday), so why am I bothering?
Because it starts this young.
Because God's Word says so.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Colossians 3:20
And we parents have to teach it to them.
Children need boundaries. They need to know who is in charge. And when it's lovingly reinforced over and over and over and over and over (and over some more), it makes a difference. It is hard. It requires consistency to the Nth degree. Did I mention it's hard? Ugh. Perseverance is an understatement.
I'm seeing fruit of this in my boys, who are now 7 and 4 1/2. They do a good job most of the time (not all the time, as they are kids after all!) of listening and responding to our requests. Consequences always follow disobedience. And consistency means we have to make sure the punishment fits the crime and we follow through. That is essential.
Part of living in this house means obeying mom and dad when we ask them to show love to one another even when you don't feel like it or if the other person doesn't deserve it. It means intervening during squabbles and bringing them back to grace and mercy and forgiveness toward each other. It's bred a beautiful bond between Ben and Joey.
At VBS Tuesday night, the kids spent their missions class in the church parking lot drawing chalk pictures of things in their neighborhoods. Since I'm helping with Joey's class, I watched him draw two people. I asked who he was drawing. He said, "Me and my brudder." And when I came back a few minutes later, he added their names. My heart was pretty full.
Then I walked past Ben's class's pictures from earlier in the evening. And I saw two people. And two names. "Ben and Joey." "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Luke 6:45b
My friend and fellow momma shared a sweet story on Facebook last night that encouraged my heart so much. Her 12 year old son decided on his own to skip his baseball game to help with VBS last night. No one asked him to. Because of how his parents have raised him, he just knew what was more important. It gave me such encouragement to keep on pouring in to my kids because I will see the fruit.
Yes, even at 15 months, I will teach my daughter to obey.
Because it starts this young.
Because God's Word says so.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Colossians 3:20
And we parents have to teach it to them.
Children need boundaries. They need to know who is in charge. And when it's lovingly reinforced over and over and over and over and over (and over some more), it makes a difference. It is hard. It requires consistency to the Nth degree. Did I mention it's hard? Ugh. Perseverance is an understatement.
I'm seeing fruit of this in my boys, who are now 7 and 4 1/2. They do a good job most of the time (not all the time, as they are kids after all!) of listening and responding to our requests. Consequences always follow disobedience. And consistency means we have to make sure the punishment fits the crime and we follow through. That is essential.
Part of living in this house means obeying mom and dad when we ask them to show love to one another even when you don't feel like it or if the other person doesn't deserve it. It means intervening during squabbles and bringing them back to grace and mercy and forgiveness toward each other. It's bred a beautiful bond between Ben and Joey.
At VBS Tuesday night, the kids spent their missions class in the church parking lot drawing chalk pictures of things in their neighborhoods. Since I'm helping with Joey's class, I watched him draw two people. I asked who he was drawing. He said, "Me and my brudder." And when I came back a few minutes later, he added their names. My heart was pretty full.
Then I walked past Ben's class's pictures from earlier in the evening. And I saw two people. And two names. "Ben and Joey." "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Luke 6:45b
My friend and fellow momma shared a sweet story on Facebook last night that encouraged my heart so much. Her 12 year old son decided on his own to skip his baseball game to help with VBS last night. No one asked him to. Because of how his parents have raised him, he just knew what was more important. It gave me such encouragement to keep on pouring in to my kids because I will see the fruit.
Yes, even at 15 months, I will teach my daughter to obey.
Comments
Post a Comment