Parenting with Words of Grace Quotes

“secondly, you tell them of the Redeemer. Tell your story in such a way that Jesus is the hero and not you; otherwise, you’ll teach your kids that they’re supposed to be the future heroes of their own stories. That means you don’t tell them stories to “scare them straight” based on the things that happened to you. Nor do you spin modern parables and cautionary tales that end with a moralistic lesson: “Don’t be like me when I was your age.” The only reason you’re willing to delve into your past is to show how you’ve needed a God who rescues sinners from the false worship to which they’ve enslaved themselves. That’s the real story of Scripture. It’s not about human paragons of virtue who triumph or case studies of villains that meet bad ends. It’s about a righteous, redeeming God who breaks into his people’s lives, against all odds, in order to rescue them and restore what they’ve broken.”
― William P. Smith, Parenting with Words of Grace: Building Relationships with Your Children One Conversation at a Time