I am super excited to have this guest writer with us today and a giveaway of her latest book at the bottom of this post!!! The first time I met Tricia Goyer, she was so friendly and open and so easy to talk to. I asked her a myriad of questions about publishing and she just oozed a love for Jesus and serving him through writing. It is a gift to have her with us today!
Tricia Goyer has written more than thirty-five books, including both novels that delight and entertain readers and non- fiction titles that offer encouragement and hope. She has also published more than 500 articles in national publications such as Guideposts, Thriving Family, Proverbs 31, and HomeLife Magazine. John and Tricia have six kids ages 2-23 and the in-laws to Katie and grandparents to Clayton. They live in Arkansas. You can connect with Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com
Tricia writes:
When John and I married we had two different ideas of what good parenting looked like. I was the oldest child and grandchild (ie Princess of Everything). When I wanted something my sweet, dimpled smile usually got me what I wanted. Or the guilt trip often worked. I was an expert at that. To me being a good parent was being attentive and loving … and at times indulgent. Children need to know they are loved, right?
John was a middle child of godly parents who set boundaries. He believed in respect and in obedience. It’s not that I wanted to raise kids who disobeyed, at times I felt it was just too hard, too much work. I’m so thankful that God got ahold of my mommy’s heart and showed me that raising children to obey was the most loving things I could do for them. I talk about this in my new book Lead Your Family Like Jesus that I co-authored with Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges.
High Hopes, High Calling
What’s your highest hope for your children? Does it include living well and having a long life, growing in wisdom, stature, and in the eyes of God and men, developing a love relationship with Jesus Christ, and fulfilling the purpose God has for their lives? If it does, you’ll want them to know and practice the true meaning of the word obey.
To help your children attain all you hope for them, show them the benefits of obedience. The level and consistency of your trust in and obedience to God will pour blessings into their lives.
Leadership is about going somewhere. It’s about making a difference. When you lead your family like Jesus, the difference you hope to make is that your children will not only obey you, but also obey God—and be a beneficial part of His family as well as yours.
How have you and your spouse handled your varied ideas of parenting and your children’s obedience? Have you taken time to sit and talk about this issue? Or perhaps you’re a single mom who wishes you had input and help.
Below are some The Pause and Reflect questions below can help you think about your parenting. If you can, take time to think over these questions. The truth is we often we spend more time planning a family vacation than we do planning on how we will help our children live well—live godly lives!
Pause and Reflect
• Which two of the following were your parents best at? Which two did they have the most trouble with? Which two are easiest for you? Hardest? Which two do you think your children will need most from you during the coming year?
___ standing your ground
___ not letting fear set your agenda
___ tailoring your tactics
___ modeling obedience yourself
___ building trust
___ testing for understanding
Which of the following do you think would help most as you work on developing the skills and qualities you just identified?
___ your spouse’s support
___ prayer
___ reading Lead Your Family Like Jesus
___ finding a mentor
___ other
Once you’ve identified your needs and goals pray and ask God to bring the people and resources you need to help your children know and practice obedience. Jesus wants to be there to help you. Turn to Him. Jesus was a hand’s on-leader who taught as he walked along with and served his disciples. He can help you do the same.
Just think of it this way, as we teach our children to obey we are giving them a boost up—lifting them—to obey God better!
Thank you Tricia so much for this encouragement! Tricia has a new book that just released that she co-authored, titled: Lead Your Family Like Jesus!
GIVEAWAY:
To Enter to Win a copy of Lead Your Family Like Jesus – simply leave a comment on this blog post.
For Bonus Entries: Tweet, Facebook or Pin this giveaway and then come back and let me know what you did!
This giveaway ends Saturday, May 11th at 8pm.
For more information go to www.LeadYourFamilyBook.com
Walk with the King,
So happy for you!
