Notes from the Hearts at Home 2010 Session
with Susie Larson
We cannot impart what we do not possess. ie: you cannot teach your children thankfulness if you are not thankful yourself.
Lessons are more often caught than taught.
Ways to Teach Thankfulness
1) Model Thankfulness: 1 Thes 5:18 "...give thanks in ALL circumstances". Don't wait for life to get better before you are thankful.
Practical Application: Refuse worry - God will come through!
Spend time with God
Let your children HEAR you being thankful to God.
2) Practice Restraint: Just because it's there doesn't mean we need it.
Partial fast - if something is getting too important in your life, take a break from it. When you get it back, it will inspire fresh gratitude.
Say "no" to yourself and deal with it.
Prov. 25:28 "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control" If you don't have self-control, it allows the enemy to get in.
What can you give up for a week and have more time to spend with God?
3) Take Time To Play: Playing shows your children that you have faith that God can handle the things you're struggling with. If we're too busy, our kids will think they're unimportant.
Take time with your girlfriends
Ditch laundry and take the kids to the park
4) Teach Forgiveness: Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it's a permanent attitude.
Own your offense, humbly respond (make retribution), and ask / accept forgiveness.
Psalm 139 - Pray for God to find where you need to ask for forgiveness.
Forgive and then LET GO.
Daily receive fresh mercies - God knows you'll make mistakes.
When you blow it, use yourself as an example. Tell them how you should have handled it, ask for forgiveness ,and then teach them how to pray to God for forgiveness.
Even if you mess up, God has made a way for you. It's okay. Your identity is not tied in with the choices your children make. Your choices define you, but they effect your entire family.
Psalm 32:1-2 "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Actively teach them what forgiveness looks like.
5) Give a Blessing: Share what God has shown you, what you want Him to show you, and what you've learned.
Speak truth and life into your kids. Our children are like blank canvases, they don't know who they are - they only know what we tell them.
If you're unsure of who your child is, pray this: Lord, show me who my child is and give them a heart for it.
Always separate what your child does from who they are. She is not a bad girl or stupid girl, what she did was bad or stupid. Never let you child walk away with a closed spirit.
Tell the truth in love to your children. Be sure to confront laziness or below-standard efforts. You're not doing your child any favors by only telling them they're perfect at everything.
Measure your words - words have power!
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Remind yourself that God loves you
Bless others - look for the good and tell them
Tell your child how much you love them and things you see good in their lives.
0 comments:
Post a Comment