Childrearing: Bringing It Back To Basics

Sometimes I try to make instructing my children harder than it needs to be.

Not too long ago, I hit a wall with the boys. Day in and day out, they were in constant opposition to me.

I tried everything from charts, timeouts, stars, stickers, money, magnets to spankings.

Lately I've been on a marble jar kick.

But the only one really losing marbles is me.

God is showing me lately that the basics of child rearing are this:

1. These are his children...on loan to me.
2. My job: to love and train them well - pointing them to Christ.
3. His Word provides me every thing I need to raise them.

So why is it that in the heat of discipline or conflict, I FORGET ABOUT HIS WORD?

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16

God is working on me here.

He is teaching me, "Becky. This verse is your goal. Correction. Training in righteousness. Competence. Men of God. Equipping them for every good work. And the best part... I've already got you covered. Just point them to me. My Word will do the rest."

Isn't that good to hear?

So I thought I'd share an incident that just happened:

Last night the boys were finding silly words to be quite humorous. Poopy. Underpants. Poopy-head. Underwear.

At first it was kind of funny, but after a while I grew weary of it and Ethan's feelings were getting hurt.

I asked the boys into the kitchen. "Boys, we want to be honoring with our mouths. We don't want yucky words coming out of us."

(Key word: Mouth)

"Let's see what God says about our mouths."

I grabbed my Bible, flipped to the back and looked up Mouth in my concordance.



I glanced over each verse and thought Psalm 71:3 was a good place to turn.

I let them find and read it for themselves.

My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day. Psalm 71:8

Then I asked questions...."So what does God's Word say about our mouths?"

Grant: "That we should praise him all day."

Ethan: "And not call each other poopyhead."

"Yes. We should encourage each other, too. We want God's glory in our mouths, not yucky words."

Then we prayed and asked God to help us keep our mouths full of His praise, glory and encouraging words.

Then they went back to playing.

Simple as that.

God's Word is much more effective than my saying, "Let's not say words like that."

His instruction penetrates the heart. Not just their mouths.

Let the word of Christ rule in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. Colossians 3:16

Thankful for you today...