So, my friend Kristen has been doing something really neat with her kids. They have daily devotional time where her kids say a memory verse. However, the completely brilliant thing is the verses that she started with. The first (and the one I'm gonna focus on) is Ephesians 6:1. "Children obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do." (NLT) When they need to discipline their kiddos, they have their little miss sit down, say this verse, have her to say what it means and how she disobeyed, and give her the correction she needs. Thanks UK for being a good mommy example even when the kiddos have you, sometimes literally, hanging by a rope.
In our Bible school class, a point was made, very quickly, but it struck a chord. It was along the lines of not just disciplining our children, but also giving them the instruction they need to do what is right. So the verse that I'm going to do my best to take a couple of seconds to say to myself before I go ape on them (lol!) is just a few down from the original in Ephesians 6:4. "Fathers (i'll say parents to myself) do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord."
A month or so ago I had gotten so much better at not just reacting when getting on to the kids and I feel like it was because i was starting my day off with even a few verses and prayer before I even saw them. Just getting a focus. And now, as I prepare to be bleary eyed in the early morning, that is my plan again. Goodness knows I'm gonna need it.
2 comments:
The one that Emma knows is "Honor your father and mother and you'll live a long and prosperous life". Exodus 20:12. It is also said in Deut. somewhere but I'm not sure where but in Exodus, it's the first commandment made with a promise. Anyway, I always ask her, "what does the Bible say about honoring your father and mother"? And she always quotes it to me in a "I can't believe she's making me say this again" kind of tone. But then I tell her that I can't allow her to act that way because I want her to live a long life and be prosperous. I figure it's a very nice way of saying, you better straighten up or you're going to die :). I'm not sure if she knows any other verse in the Bible but she knows that one well! Hang in there girl.
Blessings
great idea! thanks for sharing! i'm totally going to have to remember that one and dana's in a couple of years!
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