A Little Compassion
A Little Compassion
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. (Ps. 103:13)
Fork in the Road
Grace is kind and compassionate, while the law is harsh and demanding. Too many Christian dads believe in grace on a theological and intellectual level but practice law when it comes to parenting. This is especially true for guys who were not raised in a grace-enriched home. Without really thinking about it, we can default to whatever dysfunction we grew up with.
“Laying down the law” seems to work—for awhile. But fear gets old with time, and it breeds the rebellion dads are hoping to prevent. Grace does not mean being a pushover, or not having standards. Instead, grace builds on love and relationship. A child will do for love and relationship what he would never do out of mere fear and duty.
The Path of Grace
Remember what it was like to be in your kids’ shoes? School can be a place of bullies, peer pressure, fear of failure, raging hormones, petty gossip, and getting picked last for the game. You may have had a hard day at work, but your kid may also have had a hard day at school. Grace calls us to listen and engage, to be kind, thoughtful, and empathetic toward them, helping our children learn to do the right things for the right reasons. Only parenting with grace can meet that challenge.
Bottom Line
Your heavenly Father relates to you with love, grace, and forgiveness, and He wants you to do likewise with your kids.