Ginger Hubbard

If my small child is about to step off the curb into a busy street,

I don't want to have to count to three before they obey.

So training children to quickly obey, that really should be the standard.

And so we need to be aware of things like repeating our instructions two or three times, bribing, threatening, giving them to the count of three, because those things really draw us away from teaching our children to obey the way that God has called them to.

Well, that's where consequences come into play.

And consequences definitely have their spot.

their place, especially with younger children.

They need to know that there are consequences for sin.

There are consequences for disobedience, but there's so much more to discipline than just consequences.

If all we do is administer consequences, that's all they learn, that there are consequences for sin.

And yes, that is a great lesson, but an even greater lesson is helping them understand that higher calling of living in ways that bring God the glory He deserves.

But when kids disobey or when they tattle or when they whine or when they are disrespectful or when they don't share, no matter what they're dealing with, I always encourage three steps.

And I know a lot of people like, well, I don't like these three-step plans, but it really is a very biblical three-step plan.

And so what I encourage, regardless of what they're struggling with, is first to ask heart-probing questions.

That's step one.

And you know, Alex, if you think about it, that is the example that Jesus set.

Think about in all the stories in scripture, when someone did something wrong, Jesus didn't point his finger in their face and say, this is what you did wrong and this is what you should have done instead.

So often Jesus would ask heart probing questions.

And in order for the people to answer those questions, they had to evaluate themselves because Jesus, he was a skilled heart prober.

He knew how to ask those questions in such a way