Creative Correction

I'm taking an ACTS class at my church on Wednesday nights called Creative Correction by Lisa Welchel. It's a video based study off of her book. I LOVE it! I truly believe it's the best parenting class I've ever taken. It just gels PERFECTLY for our family and our situations. I'm just so excited about all of it and the great ideas she has for correction. I've always hated using spanking as the major form of discipline in our house. But now I feel armed with a whole armor full of things to teach them to be better people and in the end want to obey God.

One thing really stuck to me this week:

Think about it this way: We wouldn't yell at a tomato plant to make it produce. That would be ridiculous! All we can do is give the plant structure to grow in the right direction, clip the dead leaves, water it, and give it plenty of sunshine. In the end, the fruit comes from God the Creator-certainly not as a result of our ranting and raving.

What makes shouting a sad analogy is that tomatoes don't get bruised by our words like our children do. And yelling at our kids does NOT bring them any closer to godliness. Anger may accomplish our immediate goal, but it won't achieve for them "the righteousness of God," which should be our ultimate goal.

WOW, isn't that POWERFUL! Words to remember that is for sure!