Parenting by Design - December 20

No More Hiding

Genesis 3:9-10: But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"  He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid" (NIV).

After Adam and Eve ate from the tree, they realized they were naked. In response, they hid from God and sewed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness. God's response to Adam's sin was a question: "Where are you?" Now, you can be certain that God had not misplaced Adam! He asked the question for Adam's benefit, not His. 

The legacy of Adam and Eve's act is that we are still hiding today. Shopping, food, drug and alcohol abuse, and sometimes even exercise represent our "fig leaves." Still, God continues to ask us, "Where are you?" He is calling for us to come out of hiding and into a relationship with Him.  

What an example for parents! Call your kids out of hiding by asking open-ended questions and listen to their answers with understanding, rather than meeting them with judgment and shame. If you need to give consequences for their disobedience, choose to give those consequences with empathy.

Meeting your kids with empathy helps them come out of hiding and into relationship.