Teach Me Jesus Thursdays: The “G” in Grace

Too many days I come to the end of my day and think to myself, “so much for having a parenting philosphy.” Exhausted and irritable, I recount my day to God and ask “How do I live out this parenting philosophy you’ve called me to?” The mornings rush by, everyone irritable–how many times did I tell them to brush their teeth? “Hurry! We’ll be late to school!” I breeze through the store trying to finish before a little voice begs for a toy. With multiple interruptions from siblings arguing, I finally finish dinner. Feeling tired, I just want to go to bed but the kids keeping coming out of their room trying to delay bedtime.

Where did my parenting convictions go today?

What’s the point in having a philosophy if I can’t even follow it?

As I pour out my heart like water, He gently reminds me that it’s all about grace.  The foundation for my job as a parent is grace and it’s what covers me when I mess up.  It’s what fuels my interactions with my kids–it’s what I want my children to grow in–the rich soil of God’s grace.  A parenting philosophy is the foundation and helps move toward the goal. 

What is that goal?  Raising children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord so that they know God’s love intimately, it pours out of them as they do the work God calls them to and when they are old, they don’t depart from it. 

The key is that it’s a process.  Just like the work of sanctification in my heart, parenting is a slow process.  Perhaps some days slower for me than for them.

So how does our family’s acronym GRACE work out in day to day life?

We come home, everyone tired from a busy school day.  I had promised the boys time to watch tv and just rest on the couch.  We’d hardly been home less than a minute when the older hits the younger.  After talking it through with them, apologies and hugs were given.  I talked with my older Dreamer son about the fact that he was due a consequence and that I should take away his priviledge of watching his favorite science show.  I ask him if he knows what the word “grace” means.  He hesitates as though he knows he’s heard it.  I tell him it’s kindness that we don’t deserve.  “Oh, like when Jesus died for us?” I tell him that I am going to extend grace to him  and allow him to watch his show and we talked more about this thing called grace–what Jesus did for us.

When a sin problem arises in the kids, we remind them that we are all sinners saved by grace.  The other day I told Dreamer Child that we naturally want to be mean and retaliate to others.  It’s the work of the Spirit in our hearts that helps us to do what’s right.  We need help from the Spirit to fight against what we naturally want to do.  I remind him that we can’t do it alone, we don’t have what it takes to overcome sin.  But the Spirit does and He listens to us when we call on him for help.

Parenting by GRACE is a slow method, it requires that I slow down.  I can’t be in a hurry.  I have to be intentional, thoughtful, and listen to the Spirit lead and guide me. 

Will you join us in this “Teach Me Jesus” discussion?  Every family has a different philosophy, what does yours look like?  How does it look in everyday life?  How is the Spirit guiding you?

Link your post below and please add the “Teach Me Jesus” button from the side bar to your post.  Next week we’ll continue to look at living out a parenting philosophy.

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