Being a good mother, or a good father, is not as easy as A-B-C! On the other hand, following these A-B-Cs can be a big help!
A + Always trust your family to God's loving care; God gave them to you and God loves them much more than you.
B + Bring your family to Church with you -- every Sunday.
C + Challenge them to dream great dreams and to set lofty goals in life.
D + Delight in their achievements; encourage your family in every way.
E + Exalt the Lord: join together in prayer; read the Scriptures together; have "Grace" at every meal (even when eating out).
F + Frown on evil! Set an example for your family by never saying or doing anything hurtful to another person.
G + Give your family lots of love. Since there's an endless supply of God's love flowing into your life, let His love overflow into their lives.
H + Hear their problems! All of us have problems; no one should keep their problems bottled up inside themselves -- problems need to be shared with the people we love, and who love us.
I + Ignore their faults. Everyone makes mistakes/makes decisions based on bad judgment. Forgive them, help them to deal with their faults and help them to move on.
J + Joyfully accept them as they are, and help them to grow.
K + Keep their confidences! Let their "secrets" be safe with you.
L + Live out a good example before your family; they will pattern your example before they will follow your instructions.
M + Make them your friends. A friend being someone they enjoy being around, someone they can easily talk with.
N + Never ignore their endless questions; if you don't know the answer, help them find the answer.
O + Open your home to your children's friends.
P + Pray for your family every day -- also, pray with them.
Q + Quicken their interest in spiritual matters; teach them by your example.
R + Remember their needs -- know their special needs and meet the needs.
S + Show them the joy of living like Christ.
T + Teach them the value of hard work; teach them to be responsible.
U + Understand what your family members are going through.
V + Verify your statements; be honest and truthful with each other.
W + Wean them away from "bad company" -- know who their friends are.
X + Xpect them to be obedient, to respect authority and others' opinions.
Y + Yearn for God's best for each family member.
Z + Zealously teach them the value of living by the Bible.
Follow these ABCs and you will become a great mother or father!
Don Kuehle is a retired United Methodist minister who lives in Jackson. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Religion on 05/09/2019