Parenting by Design - September 16
Respect
Psalm 123:1-2: "To Thee I lift my eyes, O Thou who art enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He shall be gracious to us" (NASB).
God offers divine instruction for living, but he also loves us enough to give us free will. The psalmist expresses confidence that God has his best interests at heart and this confidence leads him to a spirit of trust, respect, and submission to God's will.
Although we often know what is best, many times our children still choose to disobey. A parent's genuine love and concern even in the face of disobedience can foster the kind of respect that will cause kids to be more willing to submit to authority the next time. This is especially true of teenagers.
Show God's love to your children and their growing respect will cause them to desire your direction.
