Did you know that your children will not always like you? I hear the gasp of grief in your voices… but it’s true. Did you always like your parents? More than likely not. There will be times when you mess up as a mother or father, there will be those moments of regret, and sometimes you will do things EXACTLY the way you were supposed to- and THAT is what will make your children angry with you. We were not created to be our child’s pal- but their parent! Yes, we can love them, laugh with them, and enjoy the fun that family can bring- but when it comes down to the wire of discipline and character development, they don’t need a friend- they need a parent.
Sometimes love looks sweet and sappy, other times it may look a bit mean. Have you ever heard of the phrase “tough love”? Tough love is when you can look at your sweet wee one- tell them no, or even punish them- and do it completely because you know the benefit will far outweigh the temporary pain. We are to train up our children in godly ways so that they become independent powerhouses of the faith and amazing citizens that contribute to this world we’ve been given. Do you really think a child who always gets what they want and never gets told “No” will grow to be a selfless/loving human being? Perhaps… but it would take a long, hard road to get there.
Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
I believe this is a HUGE problem today (especially among my generation- sorry all but I really believe it’s true). So many parents are having a heck of a time with their children because the effort it takes to mold them into the godly men/women they need to be, is just too much work. After all, it’s no fun having your child angry at you, yell at you, tell you you’re mean, etc. So, it’s best to just avoid it and keep the peace right? WRONG!!! There is a time for war and a time for peace… when your sweet one is not being so sweet and is trying his/her best to get away with something that does nothing but break apart their fragile character, THAT’S the time that you start waging spiritual warfare. Pray, instruct, correct, and punish if necessary. As long as you do not discipline in anger, but truly with the desire to bring out the best in them and chisel away at the sinful nature, then you are doing what God has instructed you to do.
Do we really think we could do a better job parenting than our perfect Heavenly Father? Is God a pushover parent? Of course not! He knows that every minute of hard work is worth it when His children rise up and take on the mantel of the image of Christ, giving Him the glory for never giving up on them. THAT is what we’re striving for with our children… the end result. Sometimes love looks mean when our children do not get their way- but in the end, it’s our job to do what’s BEST for them, not just what’s easy. We have to stop being lazy and scared when it comes to parenting. It’s incredibly hard work and sometimes we don’t see immediate change or progress. However, when we commit to bringing a child into this world, we owe it to ourselves, to that child, to God, and to the world, to do the very best we can in raising them, to the glory of God our Father.
It’s life… it’s hard sometimes… but it’s absolutely necessary if we truly want to LOVE our the little ones we were blessed with.
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