Whose Fault Is It?
Theme for this Week: Teaching Responsibility
Wednesday, November 21, 2001
 1 of 1
Key Bible Verse: The temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience (1 Corinthians 10:13a).
Bonus Reading: 1 Cor. 10:12-13
Recently I instructed my daughter Sabrina to redo a homework assignment. Frustrated and angry, she complained to her mother. Concerned because our daughter was so upset, my wife asked me why I was making Sabrina do her paper over. I pointed out that I wasn't the one "making her" redo it. Sabrina was making it happen because she chose to not do it correctly the first time.
When my kids are disobedient, there are usually consequences: I'll ground them, or make them go to their room, or restrict their TV. I'll hear them grumbling, "Dad won't let me watch my favorite show." But I remind them that it's not "Dad's fault" they're not watching their show. When they chose to disobey, they were choosing not to watch the show.
[Today's Key Bible Verse] expresses three principles that we'd do well to emphasize to our children:
* Your situation is not so unusual, so don't excuse your behavior with that myth.
* Hard as your situation may be, it's not to hard for youand God.
* There'll always be an opportunity to do the right thing. Look for it, and take it!
Ricky Byrdsong in Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life
My Response:
A way I could help someone experience the consequences of his behavior is .
Thought to Apply:
The goal of parental discipline should be achievement of the child's self-discipline, not parental control of the child's behavior.
Janice Pressman
Adapted from: Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life (Bethany, 2000) with permission.
For your convenience, Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life is available in the ChristianityToday.com bookstore.
Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
Father, use me to develop others' ability to take responsibility for their actions.
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