Shepherding a Child's Heart

A dear friend from high school and college, Sarah, sent us a gift several weeks before Caleb was born. In it were two very thoughtful gifts. . . a hand made quilt (which was quite a feat considering she's living in Germany right now and has limited access to fabric since quilting isn't popular over there) and a parenting book by Tedd Tripp entitled Shepherding a Child's Heart.

In the busyness of the first few months of motherhood, I forgot about the book. However, about 3 weeks ago, I discovered it in my nightstand and started reading it. I was tempted to gobble it up, as the content was so engaging, however, I forced myself to take it slowly, so that I could absorb its godly, biblical perspective.

Tripp does an excellent job of focusing on the main goal of Christian parenting, namely the goal of training up children to fulfill their God-given purpose in life which is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. It is more than just behavior modification, more than just bringing up well-mannered, moral, "good" kids. Christian parenting is about bringing our children to an understanding of their deep need for Christ. It is about helping them learn how to humble themselves before an awesome, almighty God and to embrace His grace and mercy in their lives, through training and example. It is about teaching them to love God and serve others with joyful hearts.

And, it is a task that cannot be accomplished without the intervening grace of God. There is no fool-proof formula. It is a matter of daily dependence upon Christ. It is about kneeling WITH our children at the foot of the cross and pleading for mercy.