We often think of communication as the ability to express ourselves. Accordingly, we think of ourselves as talking to our children. Instead, you should seek to talk with your children. Communication is not monologue. It is dialogue.

They do address the heart, but these approaches are designed to use the idols of your child’s heart as a motivation for acceptable behavior.

What general biblical objectives will guide and focus your view of life and therefore your training of your children? What is a worthy biblical goal? The familiar first question of the Shorter Catechism answers these questions. Q. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

Communication is the art of expressing in godly ways what is in my heart and of hearing completely and understanding what another thinks and feels. Home is the place for developing these skills. What a great advantage for the child who has learned to articulate his thoughts and to understand others.

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.

Parenting is your primary calling. Parenting will mean that you can’t do all the things that you could otherwise do. It will affect your golf handicap. It may mean your home does not look like a picture from Better Homes and Gardens. It will impact your career and ascent on the corporate ladder. It will alter the kind of friendships you will be

Children need communication designed to inspire and fill with hope and courage.

The “Why did you .…” line of questioning never works with children (and rarely with adults). Here are some more productive questions: 1. “What were you feeling when you hit your sister?” 2. “What did your sister do to make you mad?” 3. “Help me understand how hitting her seemed to make things better.” 4. “What was the problem with what she was

change in behavior that does not stem from a change in heart is not commendable; it is condemnable. Is it not the hypocrisy that Jesus condemned in the Pharisees? In Matthew 15, Jesus denounces the Pharisees who have honored him with their lips while their hearts were far from him. Jesus censures them as people who wash the outside of the cup while