Parenting by Design - October 9

Kindness Leads to Repentance

Romans 2:4: Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you to repentance? (NIV)

When our kids disobey, we sometimes feel justified to respond with anger, guilt, or sarcasm. It may make us feel better for a moment, but it rarely produces the results we are hoping for. This verse explains why. We can be "right" in our assessment of the situation and still be "wrong" in how we respond. We are called to treat our kids with respect, even in the midst of conflict, because this is how God responds to us in our rebellion.

Rather than seeking to punish or prove we're right, the motivation for discipline should be to move our kids towards holiness. God allows us to learn important lessons by giving us consequences, but He does so with kindness, tolerance and patience. This is the kind of discipline that leads to repentance!

Being kind, tolerant, and patient even in the face of disobedience or rebellion requires your kids to focus on their mistakes, rather than your response.