It's one of those things, one of those common sense concepts, that is easier said than done.
Lead by example. Treat others how you would want them to treat you. Practice what you preach. I have been surrounded by this concept all of my life, and have never given it hardly a passing thought. Of course I know it to be true, but knowing something is right is not as difficult as putting it into practice.
Chapter 2 of Shepherding a Child's Heart is my focus right now. The title of this chapter is Your Child's Development: Shaping Influences. Below is an excerpt that really spoke to my heart.
"The person your child becomes is a product of two things. The first is his life experience. The second is how he interacts with that experience. The first chart deals with the shaping influences of life. In the next chapter, I will introduce a chart addressing the child’s response to those shaping influences. He is not merely acted upon by the circumstances of life. He reacts. He responds according to the Godward orientation of his heart."
~Tripp, Tedd (2011-07-22). Shepherding a Child's Heart (p. 10). Shepherd Press. Kindle Edition.
A child is shaped by two things, his experiences and how he responds to those experiences. How he responds to experiences is predominantly influenced, especially in the early years, by those whom he is around the most and who he esteems the most. For us as a larger-than-ordinary homeschooling family, the shaping influences in my children's' lives are each other, myself, and my husband. How we respond to situations shapes how they will respond to situations.
I have no right to discipline my child for yelling when I yell rather than exhibit self-control. I have no right to discipline my child for stomping off and slamming a door when I could also use some work in managing my outward displays of frustration. I see in my children myself, and my husband. Both our best, and our worst, and everything in between. Being a predominant shaping influence in my child's life, I need to constantly display the attitude, actions, and temperament that is good, holy, right, and acceptable. Then and only then will they begin to understand what I am trying to teach them.
This is why I have called my journey "Mommy Training." It has to start with me, and my heart condition. I have no right to expect from my children what I cannot even consistently exhibit myself.
Pray for me, I've got a long road ahead. Praise the LORD for grace. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment