to these events and circumstances determine the effect they have upon
him.
(^) There is clear biblical warrant for acknowledging the lifelong
implications of early childhood experience. The major passages
dealing with family (Deuteronomy 6, Ephesians 6, and Colossians 3)
presuppose these implications. The Scriptures demand your attention
to shaping influences.
(^) The person your child becomes is a product of two things. The
first is his life experience. The second is how he interacts with that
experience. The first chart deals with the shaping influences of life. In
the next chapter, I will introduce a chart addressing the child’s
response to those shaping influences. He is not merely acted upon by
the circumstances of life. He reacts. He responds according to the
Godward orientation of his heart. Understanding these charts will help
you to know where your children need structure and shepherding.
(^) The arrows in the diagram below represent these shaping
influences. These influences, both within and outside parental control,
come to the child and powerfully affect his life.
(^)
Structure of Family Life
(^) One arrow depicts the structure of family life. Is the family a
traditional nuclear family? How many parents is the child exposed to?