By the Hand

Let’s just clear the air: there are no perfect parents and there are no perfect kids.

I’m a kid and I’m a parent… and I’m not perfect.

I am blessed to have GOOD parents.

And I really want to be a GOOD parent to my daughter.

Over my 15 years of being a youth pastor, I observed a lot of BAD parenting and witnessed the tragic results of that BAD parenting in the lives of young people.

Here’s what I saw:

1. Parents under-reacting. Parents not paying attention. Parents not giving instruction. Parents giving harmful amounts of freedom. Parents not being parents… some too busy with their own agendas, others too focused on being their kids’ friend rather than parent.

2. Parents over-reacting. Parents being overbearing. Parents giving impossible commands. Parents giving no freedom, causing inevitable rebellion. Parents controlling their kids at the expense of relationship, losing credibility with their children.

These two extremes are equally harmful.

Scripture gives us the key:

“Don’t exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.” (Ephesians 1.4 MSG)

In other words, don’t be too hard and don’t be too easy.

Take them by the hand and lead them.

This requires love, patience, sensitivity, relationship, involvement, close proximity, compassion and wisdom.

Yes, we (parents) will make mistakes along the way.

Yes, we (kids) will make mistakes along the way.

We’re not perfect.

But we have grace.

Parents… we can do this!

Take your kids by the hand and lead them.