I was talking with a friend the other day about the struggle that one of my children sometimes has with forgiving themself. His comment was very insightful, “This child has a insufficient understanding of the gospel.” That really made me think. Am I teaching and living the gospel before their eyes? Am I parenting in line with the truth of the gospel (Gal. 2:14)? “If the gospel is central—to the point that all else is rubbish—it also must be central in my marriage, my home.”
How does your parenting reflect these aspects of the gospel:
- God’s sovereign, loving kingship
- Our inability to meet his requirement of perfection
- The penalty and punishment for those who say no to his kingship in their life
- Jesus’ death that paid the penalty for the punishment I deserved
- Jesus’ victory over sin, death, hell, and Satan
- The need to respond to God and by faith trust him and his sacrifice for the punishment we deserve
We all need to grow in our understanding of how we live out the truth of the gospel, particularly before our children. With that thought in mind I wanted to link to a helpful article from The Family Room, a monthly web magazine that Family Life emails out every month. The article was entitled 10 Ideas: Living the Gospel in Your Home.
The author, who I quoted above, focuses on key points such as repentance, forgiveness, and humility in this article. I hope that it will help you think and reflect on the practical, daily aspects of your parenting.
If you would like a good resource in helping your kids or other kids understand the gospel, check out this web-based presentation from Matthais Media entitled, Who will be King?, or you can order copies of the tract for your own use (scroll down the page to find them). I have copies at the church as well. This is a good resource geared for 7-11 year old children.
I Commend Joy! 