Raising Kids

Proverbs 23:13, 14 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.

Bringing up kids is never easy, basically because no one gives you a handbook of instructions when the child is born. Most parents that have I known ‘wing it’ through each day of their child’s life and manage to get by without too much trouble. Others though, err in one or two ways: they organize and structure their children’s lives too much, or they don’t set enough boundaries and seek to raise “free spirits.” In both cases, they tend to end up with problematic kids who either kick against authority for the rest of their lives, or who can’t settle into steady relationships, schools or careers.

Every week a new book comes out on raising kids, so there’s plenty of material to choose from. I think the best that I have recently come across are “Boundaries with Kids” by Henry Cloud & John Townsend, and “Raising Kids for True Greatness” by Tim Kimmel*. Both books are biblically based, which means that they don’t overlook the spiritual development of kids. Most parenting books these days are more about getting the best academic, athletic, and social qualities to emerge from our kids. These books tend to forget that it is a child’s spirit or psyche that holds all of these attributes together.

As Christians, we want to raise our kids to become servants of Christ and heirs of His Kingdom. We want them to grow in God’s love and know of His grace. That’s why church attendance at worship and education at Sunday school become so important to the spiritual well-being of our kids. Christian children need their Christian community to be a significant part of the development of their hearts, spirits, minds and souls.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, today we pray for parents who need patience, guidance and encouragement each day. They are given the most sacred and solemn responsibility in our world today: the raising of their kids. Be with them through the years of parenting and grant them the blessing of Your love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

* By the way, I am giving away a copy of this book on my radio show, Seven Days, tomorrow (Friday 10 November) between 4-5pm EST. The show airs on WVLZ 1180AM Knoxville & WKCE 1120AM Maryville. You can listen on the internet at www.southernrootsradio.com. You can also visit the show’s website at www.sevend.net