God’s design for WELLthy parenting in the unprecedented time of post-Covid requires us parents to humble ourselves and ask God for wisdom in order to be present for our children. Training our children in the way they should go is not simply about accumulating parenting knowledge but inquiring to the One who made them. When I heard about the book Grace-Based Parenting on Focus On The Family podcast, I knew I had to read it because the episode made me assess my parenting journey.
God’s design for WELLthy parenting reminds us that applying God’s wisdom takes a willing parent. My parenting style definitely changed from a very tough parent to a Grace-based parenting who is learning everyday to parent in God’s love, grace and truth. It’s not the least bit easy but that’s the reason why we need God at the center of it all and in my case, thankful for three amazing daughters who understand that my mom heart is in the right place.
Since school was over and summer is here, our family is using this “slow down” time to reconnect and re-align our values. God’s design for WELLthy parenting convicts us into action to lean on God in those tough times and each other more than ever.
Learning from the book Grace-based Parenting, we are doing our best to strike a balance between having fun creating memories and plenty of rest. We want our children to grow with a love for learning and resting. Hence we understand that:
“A rescuing parent leans heavily on love, but shies away from truth. A dictating parent leans heavily on truth, but mixes in little love. A grace-based parent is able to express his love for the child no matter what they say or do, yet is strong enough to deliver appropriate consequences and to allow his child to struggle so that real learning takes place. It is a difficult balance, and our anxiety or anger often reveals where we fall on the continuum between rescuer and dictator.”
I realized that each of my daughters are beautiful individuals worth knowing on a personal level and glad to have come across the book Grace-based Parenting. I thank God for the wealth of parenting resources in books, podcasts, videos, church sermons and online that bless me in navigating this not so easy parenting journey.
God’s design for WELLthy parenting means that we do not sit on that wealth of knowledge but use our understanding of it to apply to our everyday parenting journey. My prayer is for us parents to take an inventory of where we fall on the continuum between rescuer and dictator, especially in current uncertain times, and ask God to help us model His grace, love and truth to your children. He is the epitome of grace wrapped in truth and love and there is no one more qualified than Him to mentor us where we lack.
Here’s to us WELLthy parents and may God strengthen us each day as we navigate these historic times with digital age, mental health, tough economic and social times, work from home or going back in the office, health scares and loss of loved ones. I am currently taking some well needed time off this summer to be present for my girls and I am glad God pressed on my heart to prioritize my family. The intentional seeds that have been sowed are budding a stronger family relationship which I am thankful for.
These tough parenting times too shall pass and we owe it to our children to walk by faith and not by sight. God is our refuge and our fortress and in Him alone we put our trust to empower us where we lack. God’s design for WELLthy parenting is bringing a much needed balance as I seek God in my parenting journey. I pray the same for you and may His peace reign in your heart and home through it all!
“Our love grows soft if it is not strengthened by truth, and our truth grows hard if it is not softened by love.” –John Stott
