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Is Over-Parenting Turning Your Kids Away from Faith?

Rhonda Stoppe

If you desire to guide your child toward dependence on Christ, you’ll need to create ways for them to rely less and less upon you as they mature. Did you know the best place for your kids to make mistakes is while they’re still living under your roof? Think about it. If you raise your children in such a bubble they never fail, when they move out and make mistakes––and they will––they’ll not have learned the proper way to recover. 

We are not trying to raise perfect kids. Rather, we are trying to raise kids who know how to repent and recover when they sin. Isn’t that part of the normal Christian life?

So, how can you equip your child for a future that brings glory to God? One way is to teach them to think biblically. What does this mean? Simply stated, it means to filter all of life’s experiences through God’s Word. 

To instill a Scriptural foundation in your child, you’ll need to know the Bible well enough to season with sound doctrine the conversations you have with them. 

D.L. Moody said, “If we attempt to feed others we must first feed ourselves.” 

Steve Miller, author of D.L. Moody on Spiritual Leadership explains: “When we take the time to ensure our lives abound with spiritual water, [the people we lead] are more likely to abound with spiritual fruit.”

In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, you’ll find a simple outline for developing a biblical worldview in your child’s mind:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

You can read Rhonda's full article here.

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