Valerie and I are by no means experts on child rearing, but we do have three sons and seven grandkids, so that’s got to count for something! When the boys were little, we’d often tell them, “Don’t go past the edge of the sidewalk or you’ll be in trouble.” Now, there was nothing wrong with the sidewalk; we just didn’t want them running out into the dangers of the street!
You know, it got me thinking about how kids really need clear boundaries and consequences in life. If they don't have clear boundaries and consequences, they’re bound to have trouble in life!Everywhere you look these days, you see kids who are out of control, as if there's no such thing as a boundary. Well, guess where they learned that? From parents who never take the time to consistently enforce boundaries or consequences.
Enforcing boundaries for our children is not an option; it is a Biblical mandate for parents! The bible says,
"He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." (Prov. 13:24)
How do you raise children who give you peace and makes you happy? The bible says to discipline them.
Contrary to popular belief, discipline is one of the highest forms of love for your child. It's a tough love, but it says that you care and care enough to do something to bring them back when they've gone too far. Let me be clear; there’s an important distinction between discipline and punishment! When we discipline our children, we’re actually teaching them in a manner from which they’ll learn the most. Punishment, however, is often just dumping out our anger, and all our kids learn from that is that we're out of control!
We help our kids learn to live lives under control when we establish clear boundaries in our homes. If you've been lax or inconsistent in placing boundaries before your children, let them know that you owe it to them and to God to do a better job. Becoming a whole and healthy family starts by obeying Christ as Lord of our lives, teaching our children to obey and build their lives on Him.
We invite you to join us for worship Sunday
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