BellaOnline Forums Family Christian Living How do you do it?

Just a thought this morning.

How do you teach your children (or anyone in your home) about grace? How do teach respect for authority and obeying rules and still teach God's grace?

Gently and by example.

I had an aunt who taught us about faith by pretending to lose her glasses. Every time she sent us on a hunt, she'd tell us to say a prayer to St. Jude. When we found the glasses, who do you think got the credit?

I still say a prayer to St. Jude when I lose something. He still helps me find it. He still gets the credit.

<img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I wish I could say I do it by example. In my case I generally do it by blowing up, and then going back and apologizing afterwards! It's not perfect, but I think it says something to my kids that i'm willing to humble myself and ask for their forgiveness. (I HATE being wrong!) <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

The most amazing thing for me to see is a man (or woman) of great authority who admits that he (or she) himself is under an even greater authority (God). To see Mom or Dad submit to the will of God through action is a powerful statement. That is something that words alone cannot express because they are not adequate for the task and without the walk behind the talk, no words would be enough. -Jenny.

Hmmm...good question...This has been a struggle lately with Jimmy.

Football camp started this week and he is generally afraid that he is going to be out-done by someone lese and therefore be relegated to the bench this year. So his "answer" is to be more aggressive and "prepare" himself for the worst.
I'm afraid too, not that he won't play or do his best or anything, but that I can't help him fix this in his own head. I can't overcome it for him.
Then Saturday, we went to this new church that is coming to our area in sept. It's called life church.tv. Well the pastor was treally interesting and fun. But there was a moment when I think Jimmy got it...The pastor was talking about how he sometimes treated himself to a Sprite during the day as kind of a little treat. He said he went to the soda machine and put in his money and pressed the Sprite button, but it was out. He then pressed the other buttons saving the diet button for last ebcause diet soda was not his favorite. Everything was out. So he resigned to press the diet coke button and then got a surpirse. Out came a strawberry soda...a sprite with a twist, a kick, better than average sprite...God gave him an upgrade!!

Jimmy thought this was the greatest thing he had ever heard..and for a 15 year old guy to rave about something he heard in church...well I leave that unsaid...

I think he got the message...that sometimes if things don't seem to be going the way we think it should be going, maybe the best thing to do is stop and breathe and try again...because God is probably giving us a upgrade...

Now what is this got to do with grace?... Grace, to me is the unmerited favor...getting something we don't deserve (an upgrade) and GIVING to someone else something they may not deserve. Generousity of spirit is grace demonstrated towards others. The movie "Pay it Forward" is great example of grace and can teach kids alot about the principals of grace. Rent it and let your kids see you cry...

Kids learn what the live..remember that one? It's the truest form of love a parent can demonstrate...Grace - unmerited favor and generousity

God gave him an upgrade!!
What a great explantion of grace! <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" />