Glenn Burris Jr.
Glenn Burris Jr.

Parenting is tough work. My primary counsel to parents involves the following two straightforward philosophies, developed during 40 years of parenting. But the same advice can be given for anyone who helps teach, shepherd or care for children.

1. Be Generous! Be generous with your time, your love, with your grace and with forgiveness. Be generous with your faith and your resources.

2. Set expectations! Clear boundaries in addition to clarity and accountability serve children well. Generosity without expectations breeds entitlement. Expectations without generosity lead to frustration and potential rebellion.

If you are a parent, ask the Spirit today to cultivate a spirit of generosity, grit and wisdom to hold appropriate expectations for your children.

If you are not a parent, ask the Spirit today how you can support the parents and children in your church or larger community.

Reflect + Pray

1. What would the children in your life say about you and the way you care for them? In your church? In your community? Ask the Lord how you can reach out to more children and exemplify Christ to them.

2. Ask God how you can surround and encourage fathers in your community, encouraging them and freeing them up to love their children wholeheartedly.

3. Pray as we prepare to honor fathers in services this weekend. Lift up those in our Foursquare family who have difficult or broken relationships with their earthly fathers.

4. Pray for Foursquare churches preparing for Vacation Bible School programs this summer; ask God to love on the children in their communities and instill in them the love of Christ.

Share your thoughts. See comments below, and add your own.

served as the president of The Foursquare Church from 2009-2020.
Advertisement

Leave a Reply