Compassion and grace are two things that all parents need to have with their children. But is it possible to exercise these qualities in a way that is excessive or unhealthy?
Compassion can mean things like sympathy, empathy, protection, and support through difficult times. However, it does not always mean shielding children from every little difficulty that may come their way. As parents strive to be loving and compassionate, they must remember that some struggles have redemptive purposes.
How Some Parents Apply Compassion in a Way That May Not Be Necessary
Sometimes, parents can miss the mark a little bit when they attempt to have godly grace and compassion for their kids. Don’t forget how Jesus responded to the Peter after the Apostle offered to protect Him from the suffering of the crucifiction. Jesus replied, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Is it possible that the overly protective compassion of some parents may keep their kids from what God wants for them? Do we cheat our kids out of struggles that will lead to endurance, godly character, and spiritual maturity in the future because we don’t want to see them face any sort of difficulty? In a way, in certain situations, being gratuitously compassionate with our kids may be a sort of unwitting resistance to what God has set in motion for them.
- When does my child study?
- Does my child put in the work to achieve the grades he makes?
- Do I see my child doing school work at home?
- Does my child seem to do all her homework and studying at a classmate’s house?
- Does anything on my child’s social media pages indicate that he is cheating in school?
If you are concerned about cheating, it is always an option to simply ask your child if cheating is a issue or temptation in his or her life.
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