Galatians 6:7 NIV Version says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." While this scripture, when read in context, is specifically speaking of personal responsibility for restoring our brothers, it is completely applicable to parenting as well. What You Have Sown Into Your Children You Will Reap.
What kind of foundation have you laid with your child? Whatever foundation we have laid with our children is still there. This may be something to celebrate for most of us. However, for others we may have to go back and retrofit our buildings or even tear one down, relay the foundation and start again. This process may not be easy at all!
Helping can be defined as doing something for someone that he is not capable of doing himself. On the contrary, enabling is doing for someone things that he could and should be doing himself. An enabler is a person who recognizes that a negative circumstance is occurring on a regular basis and yet continues to facilitate for the person with the problem to persist with his detrimental behaviors. Simply, enabling creates an atmosphere in which our children can comfortably continue their unacceptable behavior.
When we continue to allow unacceptable behavior to occur without intervening, we are setting a pattern of behavior in our children that will be hard to change. We are enabling their repeated inappropriate behavior. Then we repeat the enabling pattern with the result of instilling bad habits and accepting what should be unacceptable behavior for so many years that it eventually becomes as natural to many of us as breathing. Yet all the while, a nagging feeling deep in our heart and soul tells us something is very wrong.
It is imperative that we create an atmosphere in our parenting that is conducive for our children to learn responsibility and accountability so that they will grow into the persons that God intended them to be. When we do this, we are acting as co-workers with God as oppose to agents against him. Remember, the same sun/son that softens the wax will harden clay!!! Trust God that his instructions and directions in every situation with your children is appropriate!!! He knows what is needed more than you do whether it be hard or soft.
What kind of foundation have you laid with your child? Whatever foundation we have laid with our children is still there. This may be something to celebrate for most of us. However, for others we may have to go back and retrofit our buildings or even tear one down, relay the foundation and start again. This process may not be easy at all!
Helping can be defined as doing something for someone that he is not capable of doing himself. On the contrary, enabling is doing for someone things that he could and should be doing himself. An enabler is a person who recognizes that a negative circumstance is occurring on a regular basis and yet continues to facilitate for the person with the problem to persist with his detrimental behaviors. Simply, enabling creates an atmosphere in which our children can comfortably continue their unacceptable behavior.
When we continue to allow unacceptable behavior to occur without intervening, we are setting a pattern of behavior in our children that will be hard to change. We are enabling their repeated inappropriate behavior. Then we repeat the enabling pattern with the result of instilling bad habits and accepting what should be unacceptable behavior for so many years that it eventually becomes as natural to many of us as breathing. Yet all the while, a nagging feeling deep in our heart and soul tells us something is very wrong.
It is imperative that we create an atmosphere in our parenting that is conducive for our children to learn responsibility and accountability so that they will grow into the persons that God intended them to be. When we do this, we are acting as co-workers with God as oppose to agents against him. Remember, the same sun/son that softens the wax will harden clay!!! Trust God that his instructions and directions in every situation with your children is appropriate!!! He knows what is needed more than you do whether it be hard or soft.
