shepherding the Godward orientation of your children. In all of this
you must pray that God will work in and around your efforts and the
responses of your children to make them people who know and honor
God.
(^) Figures 2 and 3 will provide direction and orientation as you seek
to understand your task as parents. While you are concerned with
biblical shaping influences, you must also shepherd the hearts of your
children in the direction of knowing and serving God.
(^) In the next chapter we will examine the foundational issues of
parenting. What does it mean for the parent to function as God’s
agent? What is the nature of your task? What is the function of
discipline and correction?
Application Questions for Chapter 3
(^) 1. Do you tend to be a determinist in the way you look at
childrearing? Are you able to see that your children are active
responders to the shaping influences in their lives? How do you see
them responding?
(^) 2. What do you think is the Godward orientation of your
children? Are their lives and responses organized around God as a
Father, Shepherd, Lord, Sovereign, and King? Or do you see them
living for some sort of pleasure, approval, acceptance, or some other
false god?
(^) 3. How can you design winsome and attractive ways of
challenging the idolatry you may see within your child?
(^) 4. How can you make your focus in correction the deeper issues
of Godward orientation? How can you help your child see how he is
investing himself in things that cannot satisfy?
(^) 5. Are you and your spouse spending time in prayer for God to
reveal himself to your children? Ultimately, God initiates any work in
your children’s hearts.
(^)