June 16th, 2023

In addition to food and shelter every child need three things: unconditional love, consistent discipline, and spiritual training. If you provide these three essentials, you can be reasonably sure your children will turn out all right. Deprive them of these fundamentals and they will struggle with their self-esteem all their lives. Discipline without love is tyrannical and produces children who will grow up to be hustle and angry. Love without discipline is permissive and produces children who will grow up to be selfish and obnoxious. But when unconditional love and consistent discipline are combined, they produce children who are emotionally whole and well adjusted.

“Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

— Proverbs 12:18 (NIV 1984)

Lord help us to give our children love, discipline and spiritual training. Amen.