October 13, 2015

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

There is the old story about the strong-willed boy who was acting up and was told by his mother to go sit in the corner. When he ignored her his father stood and sternly commanded him to the corner. As he begrudgingly made his way to place of his punishment he muttered under his breather, “I’m may be sitting down on the outside but I’m standing up on the inside!”

Humorous as that may be it illustrates the truth of my first point for the final message on Raising Home Run Kids, GUIDE YOUR KID’S HEART.

It’s good to be mindful that bringing your kid’s behavior into compliance or conformity with your demand is one thing but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have dented his will.

Courageous parenting is not just correcting his behavioral while he is under your roof but it is capturing his heart so he will be able to control his behavior after he leaves.

What are some ways to capture his heart while you correct his behavior?

You can pray together with him.

This is a home plate issue. You can teach him to connect with God through prayer. By praying with him you can hear his heart and get to know him better. By praying with him he will get to hear your heart and get to know you better. At some point you can lead him in the sinner’s prayer so he can give his heart to Jesus. The best way to guide his heart is to put it under the control of the Holy Spirit.

You can praise together with him.

This is a first base issue. You can teach him to recognize God’s goodness and grace in His life and give praise to God regularly. You can let him hear your expressions of praise and thanksgiving to God. You can make sure you get your family to church so he can learn to worship and praise with you and your church family.

You can play together with him.

This is a second base issue. Spending time with him on the lake fishing, or in the woods hunting, or in the back yard playing catch, or hiking together can create a closeness that opens lines of communication. Unguarded moments lead to deeper insights into his heart and mind. Those moments are invaluable and instructive. It also breaks down some his defenses and allows him to hear you at a more intimate level.

You can plan together with him.

This is a third base issue. Teaching him to order his time, set his schedule and establish priorities is a very practical way of shaping his behavior and capturing his heart. Knowing what is right and what is best is a huge help in doing what is right! Learning effective planning is a life-long lesson!

I hope you will find these suggestions helpful as you work to have your kid sitting on the inside while he sits on the outside. Capturing his heart as you correct his behavior is a massive head start in building a successful satisfying life!

What do you need to stop doing to guide your kid better?

What do you need to keep doing to guide your kid better?

What do you need to start doing to guide your kid better?