Rebekah Hawk penned our devotional thoughts this week! You can learn more about her on the contributor’s page.
A few days ago, I listened to a podcast about leadership. The networking marketing podcast was about the difference between managers and leaders and how to evaluate your own practices to make sure you are leading your people instead of merely managing them.
I gained several great insights from the podcast, but something struck me this afternoon—I was surprised that almost everything she said in the podcast could be translated to biblical child-rearing!
I think that in the busy exhaustion of motherhood, I find myself trying to manage my children, instead of leading them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is so easy to slip into simply demanding a behavior, instead of leading a heart.
One of her main points was that leaders always remember that they are leading people—they care about the individuals on their team. Biblical child-rearing always points parents to the fact that their children are people—people with the need for a Savior, for love, and for nurturing.
Sometimes, I forget that my three rambunctious children are people too! All too often, I am expecting them to behave like saints even though their sinful hearts have not yet been converted. Psalm 51:5 reminds me that we are all born as sinners. My children don’t have the Holy Spirit, so I need to slow down, be gracious, and require obedience without being harsh and demanding.
Secondly, she emphasized that leaders show how and why to the people they are trying to lead. Managers refuse to do these things because showing how and why takes time, effort, and finding out the learning style of each individual.
The Bible says to “Train up a child in the way he should go.” Training involves teaching, and I don’t know about you, but I learn better when I know why I need to know something (and when I am carefully shown how to accomplish it).
I realize that I cannot always explain to my children why they must obey a particular command, but I should take as many opportunities as I can to biblically explain the reasons behind commands. Doing so helps my children trust that I always have good reasons for what I am expecting from them. Christ did so in His Word for me; how can I not do the same for the children He has entrusted me?
Another aspect of showing children how to live righteously is the very way I conduct myself. I can talk about why we need to do what is right all day long, but if my actions are not righteous, I am only telling my children what to do instead of leading them.
I must show them how to obey, submit, apologize, forgive, trust God, and so much more, by doing it in front of them. Leading my children is so much more involved than managing them, but their eternal souls are at stake. I’m so thankful for a loving Shepherd Who truly leads me.
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