“Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (Amplified)
What would your life look like if you had a vision for your life and for your family? Most of us tend to let life happen and respond to each day as it comes. And at times, we get so caught up in the dailies that it’s hard to do anything else.
But what if we looked at parenting our children through the lens of who we long for them to become? What if we chose to act and react based on the ultimate goal for their lives not just a knee-jerk reaction to their behavior?
Susanna Wesley is a woman who left a legacy for us all. Married to Samuel, they had 19 children. Nine died in infancy. Her husband was away for long periods of time and Susanna suffered from poor health but she approached her parenting with a plan and a purpose. She looked at it as something entrusted to her and that she had to be faithful to.
She set aside one hour each week for each of her 10 surviving children to discuss the state of their souls, their fears, their expectations and their goals. Her parenting was intentional, purposeful and prayerful, and the legacy of her children was the evidence of her character and the result of her tenacious and relentless pursuit of raising children to be godly, faithful and successful adults.
Seeing your children as adults will help you parent them with a plan.
If your parenting took on a plan, would it look any differently than it does right now? If you parented your children based on the results you hope to instill in their character, would it change how you plan your day or would it change how you act and react to their behavior?
If you developed a plan, what would it look like? Well, since every child is different and the dynamics of each family are different, the plan for each family will be somewhat different. Some goals will be the same but many will not.
Today, let’s get an idea of what parenting with a plan looks like. Below are 10 questions to help you develop your plan as a parent and to help you be more intentional about the ultimate outcome of your children’s lives.
- How can I parent my children today that will point them to a relationship with Jesus Christ?
- What character traits can I work on developing in my children today?
- What struggles are they having that I can help them learn to overcome?
- What can I do to help them see the need to care for others?
- How can I teach them to serve their family and their community?
- How can I teach them to submit to authority today?
- What have I done today to instill a deep prayer life in my children?
- What bad habits or character flaws do I need to help them deal with today?
- What do I want them to ultimately learn as a result of the circumstances they are in?
- What example am I demonstrating to them that will strengthen their resolve to become men and women of God?
Today, you have an opportunity to make a difference in your children. The years will fly by and before you know it they will be adults. So parent with a plan and a purpose, sweet mom! You’ll be oh-so glad you did!
What’s your plan?
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