We joined a small group a few weeks ago that has been studying this book called "Sacred Parenting". It comes with a video series which is about a 20 minute segment every week. http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Parenting-Raising-Children-Shapes/dp/0310264510/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339350076&sr=1-1#_
The study doesn't look at parenting in the typical manner. Because the premise of the book is that God gives us our children both so that we can influence them for Christ, but also uses them to draw us closer to Christ. This is consistent with what the Bible says which tells us that there are many trials and challenges in life and that God desires to use these things to make us more christlike. Do we always understand it that way? Probably not. But, then maybe that is because we don't understand how important it is to God that we become more christlike.
Look what it says in James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result,that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." So, if we allow it, then trials can actual have a good result in that it strengthens our fiath and helps complete us, or in other words, it helps mature us.
I have recommended a few times recently a book called "The Explosive Child" to parents who have kids who are at risk for out of home placement. Dr.Greene is a doctor and has some great insight. One of his premises is the idea of deciding ahead of time what is worth fighting about and what is not. This calls for parents to reflect on their values and what is important to them. That is what kids do sometimes, it calls us to look at ourselves and ask what is important and is this truly worth arguing about?
Looking back on it, I feel like I have made my share of mistakes. I would add though that we all make mistakes. In fact, it is impossible for us to do anything godly apart from him. So, the call for sacred parenting is more that just a call to try harder. It is a call to draw closer to Jesus so that we are abiding in Him. Apart from him I can do nothing John 15:1-5, but with him I can do all that he calls me to.
The study doesn't look at parenting in the typical manner. Because the premise of the book is that God gives us our children both so that we can influence them for Christ, but also uses them to draw us closer to Christ. This is consistent with what the Bible says which tells us that there are many trials and challenges in life and that God desires to use these things to make us more christlike. Do we always understand it that way? Probably not. But, then maybe that is because we don't understand how important it is to God that we become more christlike.
Look what it says in James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result,that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." So, if we allow it, then trials can actual have a good result in that it strengthens our fiath and helps complete us, or in other words, it helps mature us.
I have recommended a few times recently a book called "The Explosive Child" to parents who have kids who are at risk for out of home placement. Dr.Greene is a doctor and has some great insight. One of his premises is the idea of deciding ahead of time what is worth fighting about and what is not. This calls for parents to reflect on their values and what is important to them. That is what kids do sometimes, it calls us to look at ourselves and ask what is important and is this truly worth arguing about?
Looking back on it, I feel like I have made my share of mistakes. I would add though that we all make mistakes. In fact, it is impossible for us to do anything godly apart from him. So, the call for sacred parenting is more that just a call to try harder. It is a call to draw closer to Jesus so that we are abiding in Him. Apart from him I can do nothing John 15:1-5, but with him I can do all that he calls me to.
