Three Goals of a Parent

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“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”
— 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (NIV)

Here are three great parenting goals:

1. Encouraging — When we encourage, we literally put courage into our children, enabling them to face the world with confidence.
2. Comforting — We become the safe place they can turn to when the world is harsh and unkind.
3. Urging — To urge means to earnestly and persistently persuade someone to do something. We challenge our kids to go beyond their limits and trust in God. Through us, they come to believe that there is always more.

What happens when we consistently encourage, comfort, and urge? Our children are more likely to “live lives worthy of God.” When they experience our encouragement and comfort, they become more receptive to our urging to walk closely with God.