Concrete Ways to Love Your Children
Cary Schmidt’s Book Lasting Impact (Lots of great material...several things are direct quotes here along with a lot of fodder)
“Effective parents fight the trends and keep family first.
They focus on biblical priorities, and draw clear boundaries around their home life.
They fight for closeness, for transparency, and for strong relationships.
They understand their mission and embrace it with biblical understanding and clarity.”
Parents Show Love by Delighting in Their Children.
Proverbs 3:12 states, “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
Proverbs 29:17, “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”
The word “delight” means “to be pleased with, to have favor toward, and to accept.”
Parents Show Love by Disciplining Their Children.
Proverbs 19:18 states, “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”
Discipline is the process of bringing my child’s behavior into obedience to the Heavenly Father—teaching my child to live in submission to the authority of God and His Word.
It is not merely controlling or modifying my child’s behavior.
It is not just punishment for doing wrong.
It is not limiting the embarrassment that my child causes me in public.
Authentic, biblical discipline is chastening, which involves nurture and training.
It’s is always developmental and motivated by selfless love.
Effective discipline should always be restorative rather than punitive.
In other words, it’s motivated by a desire to restore the heart not merely punish it.
Effective discipline should always flow from an obedient, humble heart—not an angry frustrated one. In other words, I discipline my children because God commands me to, not because they anger me.
Finally, effective discipline should include prayer and Scripture.
The end of a discipline moment should include affection, expressions of love, and a transparent moment before the Lord in prayer together.
Probably the biggest mistake parents make today regarding discipline is that they are too tired to deal with it. Real, biblical discipline takes energy, time, and training. It’s easier to send them to their room, ground them, and forget about it. Effective parents don’t operate this way.