What Kids Need From Their Parents - Day 3
As a reminder,
Kids need things. They need things from you as their parents. Some of them are obvious, some of them, maybe not so obvious. And at times it can feel overwhelming … THEY NEED SO MUCH! And at different stages of life, they need different things. A baby needs different things than a toddler. A toddler needs different things than an teenager. A teenager needs different things than my 18yo heading off to college. I know you get the point.
The good news is the bible gives us a lot of advice on the matter. Everything from spiritual to practical. So let's look at what the bible says …
Discipline
This is so important. The bible actually says we hate our kids if we don't discipline. Wow. We may think we love our kids by letting them do what they want or get away with disobedience, but the bible says we actually hate them if we don't discipline them. Even God disciplines us.
Proverbs 3:11-12 - My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
Hebrews 12:11 - For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Proverbs 13:24 - Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
Proverbs 29:15 - The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
Proverbs 29:17 - Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
As you can see, there are a LOT of scriptures on discipline. That's because it's SO important. Don't be afraid to discipline. Your kids won't hate you. In fact, they need those boundaries. Your teen may say, "I hate you so much" and scream it at the top of their lungs, but later on they will thank you for it. And the world will thank you for it. You will have raised a child that respects authority and can take correction. If they aren't disciplined they become spoiled and think they can get away with anything.
Prayer
Please pray … your kids need prayer in a major way. There are so many things kids have to deal with these days. Pray for your kids
There are other things kids need as well such as:
For them to be seen
For them to feel safe
Be reminded of who they are in Christ
For you to pay attention - This is a big thing … get off your phone ;-)
There are lots of thing kids need. But if you do the things the bible says to do, all the other things will fall into place. And it's not just a list to check off. As you build your relationship with God, He will direct you as to what to do. Sometimes you need a checklist. But most importantly YOU NEED a relationship with God to help you do this.
Kids are a gift from God.
Psalms says Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
You have been given a gift. Let's be grateful and raise these gifts to the best of our abilities!
