Parenting by Design - June 10

Delivering consequences

Numbers 20:12:  "But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them'" (NIV).

Talk about a tough consequence!  Moses - the great leader of the Exodus and recorder of the Ten Commandments - was not allowed to enter the promised land because of the one time he disobeyed God outright.  Moses later pleaded with God to change his mind, but God followed through with the consequence.

Even great leaders (and great kids) can make serious errors.  In a culture of declining moral standards, following through with needed consequences can feel unloving and harsh.  But in order to develop habits of obedience in our children, we need to establish clear boundaries and consistently enforce consequences when they disobey.

Even though it may seem harsh, delivering consequences consistently is an act of love.