God calls parents to raise their children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 4:6). There are key ways for us to do that. You can read more about that here (link to Oct 17th 2023 article). One way that should be implemented in raising kids God’s way is having “conversations of grace.” 

First, let’s talk about the fact that we are talking about conversations. This means that we are giving more than basic commands, although there are times and places to give commands as well. We are having conversations with them. This means that we are taking time for thorough explanations.

Second, these conversations are specifically about grace. There are times we can talk with our children about how God has been gracious with them, and therefore they can be gracious with others. Let me give a couple examples.

Two children want the same toy, remote, or last piece of candy. We can talk to our children about how Jesus was gracious to us by sacrificing Himself for us. This means since we’ve been sacrificed for, we can sacrifice for others, even our siblings.

Or a friend has sinned against them at school. Instead of taking revenge, we teach them to forgive like Jesus forgave us (Ephesians 4:32). We teach them to extend the grace they have been given in this area.

Or we teach them how to be generous toward others. Help them realize that they can give away some of their time, money, or possessions. Jesus has graciously been generous to them through the cross, they can in turn be generous to others.

These are conversations we can have several times a day. They teach our children how God has been gracious with them, and in turn, how they can be gracious to others. It goes beyond giving them a list of rules and does and don’ts.  It shows them how the grace of Jesus Christ can flow out of them. These kinds of lessons can be long lasting.

Think About It

Do you just give your children commands, or have conversations with them?

Do you teach them about the grace they have been given through God our Father and Jesus Christ?

Do you teach them to be gracious to others because God has been gracious to them? 

Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes  or Googleplay.