RMCHC Blurbs

 

 

 
Blurb #1

A Child’s Perspective 

Note:  Underlined words are good ones to look up in the 1828, or Red books.  (hint, hint!) 

Children have three basic and most important needs.  What are they?  You might say, “food, shelter and clothing.”  But these are externals.  The Scripture teaches us that the heart is most important – this is internal. 

Guard your heart, for out of it comes the issues of life. 

So what needs does the heart have?  The Christian view of Man teaches us to court the heart, guard it, train it.  Train up a child in the way he should go…  There are many ways to answer this question of heart needs – but I write here specifically about the environment we parents create for our children’s hearts.  My friend, Dee Wilson, often told our Sunday School class to ‘remember what it was like to be a child.’  Children catch what they learn by how we treat them, by what they observe in us.  (Now that’s scary!!!)  So I ask again, what are a child’s heart needs? 

            To feel loved

            To feel safe

            To feel important – that they matter 

Although we cannot control how our children feel, exactly, there are ways we can reach out to them, to encourage their hearts…. 

            Do you know their love languages?

            Do you understand their personality types?

            Do you know their spiritual gifts?

            Do you understand their special needs?

            Do you know their learning styles? 

If our most important instructions from God are

1.      Love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and

2.      Love your neighbor (your family!) as yourself

Then perhaps this will help you put feet to your desire to direct your children in the Lord. 

* * *

http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/learn.html

http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm#Learning%20Styles%20Explained

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

http://www.personalitypage.com/four-prefs.html

1 Corinthians 12 – 14 talks about spiritual gifts, for starters

http://www.churchgrowth.org/analysis/intro.php
Blurb #2

It's All About Focus

Philippians 4 tells us to think on things that are good, lovely, right, pure, praiseworthy.  It's easy to point out all the wrong things that are going on, and, by the way, without coming up with any solutions.  My good friend, Ben Gilmore, often says "If you're not a part of the solution, you're part of the problem." 

In running a family, there are things that need to be 'made right' no doubt.  However, I submit to you that pointing others in the right direction will have a greater effect on 'making things right' than pointing out their problems.  This is the whole point of biblical discipline - the Scripture tells us that 'it is God's love that leads us to repentance.'  Correction needs to turn on a light, to show the correct path.

In dealing with internal self-government, we moms have our work cut out for us.  We must demonstrate internal self-government before we can teach it.  Again, a phrase from Ben Gilmore - "You can only teach what you know."  It has been understood by wise teachers that children catch much more of what they learn than what is said to them.  Children are smart.  They know when your tone of voice, your choice of words, and your actions reflect things that are good, lovely, true, excellent.

Internal self-government is easily grasped by some, while others fight a mighty struggle to understand.  Sometimes my children question me, which is often a good thing, right?  "Why don't you DO something???"  And I can look them in the eye, while I sit there, looking ever so much as if I'm not doing anything, and say "I am, honey.  You just don't see it yet."

It has been a joy to watch the light dawn for my seventeen-year-old in this area.  Not too many years ago he was the one asking the most forceful questions.  I spent hours explaining, using Scripture, to try to plant that seed of self-government.  I would tell him, "It's easy to put someone in their place.  The real challenge is to get them to WANT to be there!"  Now, although there are still moments that I see a most definitely pagan response come out of him, there are many times that he is my champion.  He can step in and respond, in many situations, in the same way I would, looking for a solution, not blame or punishment.

In the same way, he has begun to take a decidedly responsible view of his education.  I rarely have to remind him to do what he needs to do.  He has set a course toward graduation, and I am his biggest cheer leader. 

All this to say that focus is the key thing. 

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  Phil 4:8

And verse 9 tells us a pathway to planting the seed of local self-government....

"Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."  Phil 4:9

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