Shepherding a Child's Heart (Ch 8)...

So, in discussing this book we have talked a lot about what not to do and how not to communicate and discipline our children. Now the book begins to break down biblical methods so we can put them to practical use. Yea!

Biblical methods are just that...using the Word of God in disciplining. If you really believe that the word of God is "living and active" than you know that when you or your child speak scripture it has more weight than anything you or I can come up with. Our methods and goals in parenting should be based on the Word of God.

This chapter introduces the two elements involved in biblical parenting...communication and the rod. Scripture to support...Proverbs 23:13-19, Proverbs 23:22, and Proverbs23:26. Each of these elements are discussed in detail in the coming chapters.

The communication the book talks about has nothing to do with talking to your children, but everything to do with talking with your children. Yes, as a parent you need to have the ability to talk to your children, but also listen to them. This seemed difficult to me. I have an almost three year old and sometimes she doesn't know how to express what she is feeling or why she did something.

The finest art of communication is not learning how to express your thoughts. It is learning how to draw out the thoughts of another. Tripp 73

At a young age children will learn if we are interested in what they have to say. If we respond to everything they say with an "uh-huh" while we continue to watch tv or update our facebook status our kids will realize quickly that we are uninterested in what they have to say and then when they are a teenager we wonder why they do not want to share with us.

Our goal is to try to figure out why the child behaved like they did. What is going on inside or what temptation is provoking that behavior? It is not about how you or I feel about what they did, but what led them to that behavior.

What is important in correction is not venting your feelings, anger, or hurt; it is, rather, understanding the nature of the struggle that your child is having. Tripp 74

It is important for a child to understand the reality of temptation and sin and the hope of grace and mercy found in the Lord.

The book provides four issues to walk through when correcting and I found them helpful:

1) the nature of temptation

2) the possible responses to this temptation

3) the motives for those responses

4) the sinful response he/she chose.

We are above our children in this process because God has given us authority over them, but we also walk beside them because we are sinners that struggle with temptation daily t00. So we are responsible for censoring evil for our children but we are also understanding because we know all to well the struggle they face.

Therefore, since we have this great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we possess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

Jeremiah is 9 months old!