Last week, Mary Tabb led us in the topic of our long-term goals as mothers. She talked to us about using discipline as a method of teaching and really working on helping our children be teachable. (Proverbs 4:20)
One of Mary's favorite tools is to remember that you are raising your child to be a husband or wife. What kinds of traits did we look for in a mate? Gotta love a list! We want them to be:
- Discerning- able to recognize good from evil, right from wrong; there are absolutes in life. God's plan for them is to have an abundant life; they need to be able to discern what is and is not part of His plan.
- Gracious- a no-brainer to the Southern, but we want them to be graciously honest not just having good manners. We want them to think of the other person and be gracious without pride.
- Dependent on God- NOT people. I am a sinner and so is everyone else our children will come in contact with. We want them to trust God, to listen to God, and to seek God's will.
- Unselfishly sacrificial- putting other first. Seeking God by serving others. This skill is closely related to being gracious.
- Temperate- our children's tongues need control. God always gives us a way out of temptation.
- Kind and forgiving- my kids have learned at MMO to "be kind to one another." (or at least they have learned to say it, maybe not to show it yet!) As parents, we have the ability to show our children forgiveness in order to teach them not to hold grudges. Stop bringing up "that time when".
- A Good Listener- to others and most importantly to God.
- Wise in Decision Making- Kinda goes back to #1.
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