Speak Selflessness Into Your Child

All summer I have been working at finding quiet time to go through a message series called ‘Soul Sisters’.

Today I listened to the final message in a series.

A parenting lesson rang out in this message. It was a lesson in how we speak to our kids. How we convince them to do what is right. We often get into the habit of convincing them to do right by reminding them of the self consequences or benefits to self and in the process aid in the development of a selfish world view. Instead, if we truly desire them to be empathetic and aware of others around them we should seize each little opportunity to start speaking in a selfless fashion.

Provers 31 is an oracle taught to a king by this mother. Around verse four she talks about the dangers of drinking to much and the consequences she uses are outside of how it will affect him. It is a lesson in selflessness as well. “…it is not for kings to drink wine…or else they will drink and forget what has been decreed, and will pervert the rights of all the afflicted.”

How often have I told my kids ‘don’t do that!’ and the why not is a consequence unto themselves? I strongly desire my kids to think of others and this gave me another example of how to improve my parenting skills in this area.

The day my daughter came home and shared with me about her kindness to a bully I was surprised at her wisdom and reminded that children, in their innocence, can understand moral behaviour better then we do. “There was a mean boy bugging my brother today. I got in his face and told him to stop… and then I remembered he might be like that because no one plays with him so I asked him to come play on the monkey bars with me and we played all lunch hour.” She didn’t just react in justified anger but went a step further and empathised with him, even though he was in the wrong. I pray the Lord continues to bless her and me with such understanding.

Check it out! It introduces an interesting interpretation of the ‘PROVERBS 31 WOMAN’ too.

TTFN