Chapter Two Quotes - The Grace of Time Together (My comments italicized)"....my dreams are not necessarily what really motivate my children to become the best they can be. What matters to them is my loving presence. " p 33
"If I want them to be open to my messages, I need to be willing to serve them - to voluntarily give up my rights and my time to meet their felt needs - just as Jesus was willing to give for his disciples." p 33.
"But instead of just telling them what to do, harshly commanding their allegiance with orders and threats or guilt and manipulative statements, he (Jesus) chose to tie the cords of his heart to theirs with the strong and unbreakable bond of a loving, serving relationship." p 35
Lots of great things about Jesus' servant leadership in this chapter. It's hard to pull a few thoughts, but I don't want to retype the whole chapter.
"He (Jesus) was not a God who lorded it over his followers and demanded they follow him or coerced their obedience through authoritarianism and fear. Instead, he called them to the excellence of holiness and yet lovingly served them in order to win their hears and show them the means of reaching others' hearts as well." p 35
"In observing his whole life.....they began to build a true understanding of what walking with God looked like in real flesh". p 36 May our children get an true understanding of who God is by observing our lives in the flesh!
"Serving children does not mean letting them order us around or giving in to all their whims This was certainly not Jesus' example of servant leadership. The disciples were always clear who was the leader in their little band, and Jesus commanded their obedience. But he earned that obedience not by pulling rank but by putting their welfare second only to the will of his Father. " p 37
"Discipline and teaching are most effective when administered in a context of a close, ongoing relationship of love." p 37
From the prayer:
"Help us remember they want our attention, more than our service."
6 comments:
Oh dear, conviction-conviction-conviction. Maybe I don't wanna read this book after all...just kidding!
Jen
::snort:: I've had that reaction a couple of times already, too.
Ah.....conviction but never condemnation....God is so good to lovingly draw us nearer to His standards.
"My time, my attention...even when I'm tired or have other important things on my mind-is what builds our relationship and prepares them to listen to what I have to say. Only then, once the wells of their need are filled with the grace of being loved, will my words to them about God's grace finally make sense."
Good stuff, very convicting!
It sure has made me stop and think a lot in the last week, Lisa.
love and service must come before great words, teaching and training- this builds relationships and prepares them to listen- Only when their needs are filled with the grace of being loved will my words to them about God's grace make sense.
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