It can be a struggle balancing discipline and celebration of your teen, but it might be the most important things you will juggle in the moments you spend with them. Whether your teen pitches a tent in open rebellion, is the "perfect" child, or (most likely) falls somewhere in between it can be difficult to know when and how to press in/pull back on discipline and celebration.
Below is an excerpt from the wonderful book Family Discipleship. I hope it blesses and challenges you as you walk in the calling of parent, mother/father, husband/wife, etc. in your family.
"Your job is to "train up a child in the way he should go." (Proverbs 22v6). This requires frequent course setting and course correction. Your children's character will tell you a lot about where their heart is with the Lord. "Even a child makes himself known by his acts,/ by whether his conduct is pure and upright." (Proverbs 20v11)."
"YOU WILL FIND YOUR FAMILY BOTH FORGIVING AND AFFIRMING ONE ANOTHER AS SAINTS–SOMETIMES IN THE SAME MOMENT."
"Being both an encourager who fans into flame the godly characteristics you want to see and the disciplinarian who addresses the missteps is essential work for you as a Christian parent."
I love that training up children isn't simply a command to discipline. Discipline is essential, but celebration/affirmation must accompany it. It is often too much of one, not enough of the other. It's a difficult balance, surely impossible without being intentional about slowing down to pray for wisdom and discernment, even in the heat of the moment.
YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT...
Ponder and pray through the below questions (either alone or with your spouse).
Q1: What does the relationship between discipline and celebration look like in your home?
Q2: What did it look like in your home when you were a teen?
Reflection: Take a deep breath and ask God to reveal what a healthy balance of discipline and celebration could look like for your family, specifically in the seasons and trials taking place.
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