Children Need Wings

As parents, we start off watching our babies VERY CLOSELY.  We keep a sharp eye on our young to ensure their safety.  Our job is to protect them, and watch for possible dangers.

As our kids grow up, our (parent) need to watch every move they make lessens.  We begin to teach and instruct our children on how to watch out for their own safety.  We start giving them doses of freedom based on how well they can be trusted.  Before we know it, freedom is being given in chunks as they grow into teenagers.

Then WHAT??  As teenagers, do we as parents get cold feet and decide to tie up our teenagers and throw them into a closet so they'll stay home?  NO!!!!!  Instead, we give them their WINGS.  You see, all of those times freedom was given to them and they were responsible with the freedom, they were sprouting their wings.  WHEN A CHILD HAS STRONG WINGS, IT'S AN INDICATOR THAT THE PARENTS HAVE DONE THEIR JOB (THROUGH CHRIST).

As kids fly away, our job as parents is to let them go and encourage them along their adventure.  If we tie them up, we are not allowing them to make their own decisions, and we are choosing to not see them as individuals.

There are 2 ways to parent:

1.  Healthy parenting:  God is the center of the home, unity in the family,  respect - everyone is heard and has opinions, healthy freedom(s), boundaries, trust and genuine love between parents and child, forgiveness is evident

2.  Dysfunctional parenting:  God is not the focus of the home, no respect, lack of trust, strong demands - the only person who's opinion matters is YOURS (parent), zero boundaries, and lack of genuine love and true forgiveness

How are you parenting your child?  Are you preparing to tie up your child, or are you helping him/her find his wings and encouraging him to one day fly away?

Colossians 3:21 Fathers (parents), do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  "Honor your father and mother" - which is the first commandment with a promise - "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."  Fathers (parents), do not exasperate your children;  instead, bring them up in training and instruction of the Lord.

As parents, we are preparing our children to honor us by giving them their wings (through Christ) or we are setting the tone for them to be exasperated, embittered and discouraged.  God died to set us FREE, and we are to set our children FREE, too, by encouragement, love and forgiveness.  As Christian parents, we are to be imitators of Christ (Ephesians 5:1).