Grace Based Parenting

Grace is freely given to us on a daily bases by God.  But what is grace?  What does it look like to put grace into practice in our lives?  If God gives it freely to us then we should be extending it to others as well.

Grace is a word so often thrown around and I know what it means, but I had never really studied or thought about the grace offered to me and how I offer grace to others.

One of my bible study groups just finished Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel.  This book outlines the principles of what grace is and how we can apply that to our parenting.

This book reinforces the idea that there are no checklists in parenting. Each child is different, but each child is created by God.  So the only “manual” you need is the Bible and a firm relationship with God.  He will provide the guidance you need.

A huge “aha” moment for me throughout the book was to take stock of our reactions as parents.  Are you reacting to something your child is doing because he is actually sinning (such as disobeying, hurting someone, being disrespectful, etc) or are they just embarrassing you?

It’s so easy to “lash out” at our children not because they are doing anything wrong but because they are being different and it is embarrassing to us.  These are times when we need to extend them grace and allow them to be who they are…God does.

Do you  have a child who could use some grace from you?  I’m sure we all do.  I highly recommend this book to parents of all ages.  I believe this will be one I reread as the teenage years approach!

I found the book to be a little slow for the first four chapters or so when the text deals with outlining the whole concept of grace, but I could also have felt this way because I was reading the book hoping for some defined checklist of what needed to be done to be a “grace filled parent”.  That’s not how parenting works.  There is never going to be a checklist…let it go:)  All you need is God.  But by the middle of the book I was hooked and found it to be really interesting and insightful. 

I challenge you to read it and think about how you show grace as you parent.  I know this book has helped me rethink through some of my reactions and thoughts as a parent.