Shepherding a Child's Heart

Well, well, well.  I am currently reading Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp and I thought that I could blog about a few of my reflections on each chapter.  It’s such a crazy original idea I can’t believe that no-one else has ever done it before…eh-hem.

I am reading occasionally before I go to bed and although this is no bed-time read I have at least have approx 7 hours to try and allow my sub-conscious to digest and process!

In the introduction Tripp outlines three areas that we need to develop in order to develop a God-centered and biblical approach to parenting:

Authority:

“You must not direct your children for your own agenda or convenience.  You must direct your children on God’s behalf for their good”.  In our self-obsessed culture where “children are often thought of as a liability” I must learn that I cannot simply manipulate my little girl in order to make my life easier.  This is a direct challenge to my sinful heart which always seeks to put itself first no matter the consequence. I think people sometimes physically shrink when they think about authority; it has so many negative connotations.  In our culture we are often actively encouraged to disobey authorities especially if those authorities are restraining us from following our hearts.  But what a bad idea- following your heart!  Jesus said “out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander”. (Matthew 15:19).  Really our hearts are a terrible thing to follow!  Thank goodness for the kind and servant hearted authority that Jesus exercises over my life to protect me from following my heart.  I must trust him and be obedient if I am to teach the lovely little one to live freely under God’s gracious authority.

Shepherding:

“Values and spiritual vitality are not simply taught, but caught”.  Simply put: I need to put my money where my mouth is.  I need to demonstrate to the little one that living with God at the centre of life is refreshing, fulfilling and overflowing with joy.  Not easy when I’m tired after work and lose my cool because the little lady pulled the guitar down on herself and persisted to howl for 45 minutes and then was sick because she’d cried so much.  Just an example I can pull off the top of my head…do I say “I’m sorry but Mummy’s been at work all day and got frustrated with you because she was tired” or do I say “Mummy reacted wrongly and used her tiredness as an excuse to allow her sinful nature to react impatiently an unfairly towards you”.  I know which explanation is easier to come up with but I know which one will teach her about human nature and point her towards living for a God of mercy and grace.

The centrality of the gospel:

“The gospel enables you and your children to face the worst in yourselves- your sin, your badness, and your weakness and still find hope, because grace is powerful.”  Jesus' life, death and resurrection is more than the forgiveness of sin it is also hope and empowerment for internal change.  I don’t just say to the lovely little lady ‘well, we sinners will always be sinners’ I will say ‘we sinners will always be sinners but there is real hope for change found in a relationship with Jesus’.  

Crikey. 

I hope I can remember all that when the crunch comes.