Don’t Stop Calling Out The Gold In Your Children

Sometimes as a father, I would be focused too much on correcting the attitudes and behaviors of my children. Soon they began to dread every time I said that I wanted to talk to them because they knew it would be about something they were doing wrong. When I realized that I had (albeit with good intentions) created a negative association with ‘talking to dad,’ I was heartbroken.

So, I determined to change. I began to work on finding good things to have heart-to-heart about, and instead of correcting their behavior, I focused on telling them about the amazing people God created them to be.

I remember one time in particular. I was worried about my son not applying himself in school. Instead of talking to him about that, I asked him what he saw himself doing in the future. It sparked a beautiful conversation about his ambitions and how he could set himself up for success. Frankly, I was surprised at how well it worked! I actually saw him begin to apply himself more in school. Later in the week, he scolded his brother for not having a bigger vision for his life. I had to work hard to hide my expression of incredulity!

Calling out the gold works ten times better than pointing out the dross!

This devotional by Matik Nicholls is available at Bible.com.