Summarty 4 Another short summary from Tedd Tripp's book "Shepherding a Child's Heart"
Originally put together for our grown-up children, with much love and admiration. who, like us, are not perfect parents, but whose hearts are in parenting.
So far....
Part 1 Introductory Lines
Part 2 Aim, not only at changed behaviour in your child, but also a changed heart.
Part 3 Your child’s development: Shaping Influences.
(To refer to any of these parts, go to labels on the left of the page, click on Shepherding a Child's Heart)
And today's summary...Part 4
MISTAKES ABOUT UNDERSTANDING SHAPING INFLUENCES
Mistake #1: It is an error to assume that your child is a helpless victim of the circumstances in which he or she was raised.
Mistake #2 is the denial that a child is unaffected by early childhood experiences.
Child-rearing is
1) MORE than providing the best possible shaping influences for your children.
2) MORE than giving your children protection and shelter.
3) MORE than always being positive or providing the best possible childhood for your children.
We may believe that if we do the above, then our child will turn out ok, just fine.A proper environment will produce a proper child. Okay? No, not okay.
You may provide the most stable shaping influences – yet it is no guarantee that your child is going to respond positively.Your child may rebel against your best efforts.
But…..your children are responsible for the way they respond to your parenting.
Good shaping influences will NOT automatically produce good children, You could still end up with a troublesome teenager – and it may not be about the home you provided, but about your child’s HEART.
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.Your child's heart determines how he or she responds to your parenting.
Children can choose sin.
Sobering and a great motivation to provide godly shaping influences and to pray!
