Monday, January 16, 2012

Kindness Leads to Repentance!

Just wanted to share this greatly refreshing and insightful commentary on disciplining our children. It was my "Parenting by Design" devotional the other day.
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KINDNESS LEADS TO REPENTANCE

When our kids disobey, we sometimes feel justified to respond with anger, guilt, or sarcasm. It may make us feel better for a moment, but it rarely produces the results we are hoping for. This verse explains why. We can be "right" in our assessment of the situation and still be "wrong" in how we respond. We are called to treat our kids with respect, even in the midst of conflict, because this is how God responds to us in our rebellion. Rather than seeking to punish or prove we're right, the motivation for discipline should be to move our kids towards holiness. God allows us to learn important lessons by giving us consequences, but He does so with kindness, tolerance and patience. This is the kind of discipline that leads to repentance! Being kind, tolerant, and patient even in the face of disobedience or rebellion requires your kids to focus on their mistakes, rather than your response.

"Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"
Romans 2:4 NKJV

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