Becoming the Parent You Want to Be

Les and Leslie Parrot (two Christian therapists who I really respect), have written an excellent parenting book entitled The Parent You Want to Be. The big idea of this parenting book is that parenting has a lot more to do with who you are (your traits, values, behaviors, the example you set) than what you do in terms of parenting techniques. In the book they quote a therapist named Joseph Chilton Pearce who wrote, “What we are teaches [a] child far more than what we say, so we must be what we want our children to become.” On Sunday we talked about having an “Extreme Makeover” for our kids – it turns out it isn’t our kids who may need the makeover – it’s us parents. It reminds me of Jesus’ powerful words, “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Who our children are and what they become is powerfully connected to our becoming who God desires for us to be.