WWJD By Dr. Richard Youngblood
Question: Why do some children grow up to excel in life
even when the odds are against them while others who seem to have all the
advantages seem to struggle to get by? (Part 2)
Last week we suggested that when parents bless their
children with unconditional love, acceptance and assurance they provide a
foundation that enables their children to go forth in life with
confidence. To help parents do this, we
discussed two of the five elements of blessings given by the biblical
patriarchs as identified by John Trent and Gary Smalley in The Blessing (Genesis 28 & 47).
Here are three more elements.
(3) Expressions of High Value: Each of us needs to feel that we have a value
and an importance of our own. Thus, our
children need to see that they are valued for who they are and what they are instead
of only how they perform. If value is
placed only on performance, our children will question their value when they
fail to perform up to expectations. Tell
your daughter that whether she hits a homer or strikes out does not change her
importance to you and she can still contribute to her team. Tell your son that whether he makes A’s or
F’s he will always remain your beloved son.
When children feel valued, hindrances in life tend to become
irrelevant. They have the confidence to persevere
until they succeed.
(4) Words
that Picture a Special Future: When
Isaac blessed his son Jacob, he said: “May God give you of heaven's dew
and of earth's richness-- an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to
you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to
you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who
bless you be blessed” (Genesis
27:28-29). Many years passed before these
things happened, but every word was fulfilled.
We cannot predict the future for our children in the same way that the
patriarchs did, but we can picture meaningful goals, directions, challenges and
hope for their future. Children are
literalists. If parents tell them they
are too dumb and ugly to accomplish much in life, they may believe them and
never try. When children are made to
feel their future is hopeful and that they have something to look forward to,
their attitudes can be totally transformed.
Picturing a special future for a child can bring out the best in him or
her, like transforming a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly.
(5) An Active Commitment: Our words of praise and encouragement need to
be backed up by personal involvement in the lives of our children. We can greatly encourage our children by
helping them learn to trust in God through Jesus Christ throughout life. In addition, wise parents are ready to pay
almost any price to support and help their children achieve healthy goals in
life. This dedication helps our children
believe they can do whatever needs to be done to excel.
Many of us have been blessed by parents who have
used these five elements without being conscious of them. However, by becoming more aware of these
things, we can intentionally and purposefully bless not only our children but
all of those with whom we come in contact with in life.
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