Shepherding a Child's Heart- Authority

Several people encouraged me to read the book " Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Tripp, one being my former boss-who I think very highly of- so I have been and I have devoured it. It looks like I have had it a really long time with all the turned down pages and notes written in it. I wanted to post some of the things that I found really encouraging to be able to not only work through it in my own mind but to get others to think about these concepts as well. Parenting is super hard so I always welcome any godly advice I can!

"God calls his creatures to live under authority. He is our authority and has vested authority in people within the institutions he has established (home, church, state, and business). You must not be embarrassed to be authorities for your children. You exercise authority as God's agent. You may not direct your children for your own agenda or convenience. You must direct your children on God's behalf for their good."-Tripp

Being a 7th grade girls bible teacher this past year, I constantly spoke to them about respecting their parents. For some reason students think that their teachers will side with them and join in to complain about how utterly ridiculous their parents are being :). I did however have one student who would again and again remind the other girls that we are supposed to receive discipline from our parents, if they don't discipline us then they don't love us. Fortunately, Adam and I know her parents very well and know that she comes from a Godly home, where discipline is doled out and the parents are the authority.

I think we live in a culture where parents don't want to be the authority over their children. They either pass that responsibility off to their teachers, or become the child's friend. I have seen both in my current job and its truly opened my eyes to my obligation towards Goober and Ribbit. Not only does parenting call you to be completely selfless, but to also accept that authority role-realizing that God has called you to do so.

Authority not only means disciplining them, but also setting that consistent example for them. There are so many times that I have caught myself taking the easy road, only to see Goober watching me, so I've had to retrace my steps, correcting myself and apologizing to him.

Ephesians 6 sChildren, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 t“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, ubut bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.