Parental Leadership: An Amazing Adventure
With so many distractions surrounding us, how can we effectively lead our children and encourage them to focus on the firm foundation that is Jesus Christ? Early Childhood Director and parent Jan Lashbrook shares four letters of the alphabet that can help you model God-honoring behavior and point your child(ren) toward the greatest example of leadership that ever walked this Earth.
Calvary Christian Academy’s 2020-21 discipleship theme is LEAD. Our key verse is 1 Timothy 4:12 because we believe even a child can be a good leader for their peers.
According to Webster’s dictionary, to lead someone is “to go with one by holding them by the hand while moving forward. To be a route of means of access to a particular place or in a particular direction.” The word LEAD is an action verb, and a good leader is known more by their actions than their words.
Our goal this year is to help our students understand that a leader is not perfect but exhibits characteristics that lead those around them toward a stronger relationship with Jesus. We are using an acrostic to teach our students that a godly leader:
- (L)oves others like Jesus without bias or differential treatment
- (E)ncourages others to do the right thing and tries to be a positive influence
- (A)ttitude reflects the heart of Jesus by demonstrating humility and servanthood
- (D)iscerns right from wrong and resists the temptation to follow the crowd
As parents, we are the leaders of our home. That is a high calling, but it can also be an amazing adventure.
As parents, we are the leaders of our home. That is a high calling, but it can also be an amazing adventure. Parents are not perfect, but we can LEAD our children in the right path by modeling Jesus’ leadership style.
Yet, there are so many distractions around us right now; a pandemic that has brought so many changes to our way of life, a political race that has turned ugly, social unrest around the country, and the feeling that things are spiraling out of control. How can we effectively lead our children in times like these?
Whether we’re experiencing good seasons or bad, the answer is the same. We can guide our children toward right choices and wise decisions by consulting the best leaders’ manual ever written—the Bible. It’s the only thing that hasn’t changed through the ages. Pointing our kids to the wisdom and truths of the Bible will help eliminate the confusion surrounding past, present, and future events.
We also can model attitudes (A) that reflect Jesus’ heart of humility and servanthood by serving others in the community and sharing the greatest known example of humility (Philippians 2:5-11) with our children. And finally, we can help them discern (D) right from wrong by discussing situations they face in school and home as well as reading stories from the Bible that give our kids real-life examples of choices: some are acts of disobedience that lead to destruction, but many are choices that lead to the abundant life that God promises to believers through obedience to His commands.
We aren’t perfect, but God is! And as we LEAD our children toward God through the stories and examples from the Bible in our bedtime rituals and other teachable moments during the day, they will learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus who is able to LEAD others toward the right path—the path of righteousness.
Yet, there are so many distractions around us right now; a pandemic that has brought so many changes to our way of life, a political race that has turned ugly, social unrest around the country, and the feeling that things are spiraling out of control. How can we effectively lead our children in times like these?
Whether we’re experiencing good seasons or bad, the answer is the same. We can guide our children toward right choices and wise decisions by consulting the best leaders’ manual ever written—the Bible. It’s the only thing that hasn’t changed through the ages. Pointing our kids to the wisdom and truths of the Bible will help eliminate the confusion surrounding past, present, and future events.
Pointing our kids to the wisdom and truths of the Bible will help eliminate the confusion surrounding past, present, and future events.God’s Word is where we show our children that Jesus loved (L) others without prejudice. He gave us a blueprint for love in 1 Corinthians 13. We can encourage (E) our children to be a positive influence on their friends by modeling it ourselves through our speech and in our actions. 2 Thessalonians 3:13 tells us, And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. The story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 is a great example to share with our kids at bedtime.
We also can model attitudes (A) that reflect Jesus’ heart of humility and servanthood by serving others in the community and sharing the greatest known example of humility (Philippians 2:5-11) with our children. And finally, we can help them discern (D) right from wrong by discussing situations they face in school and home as well as reading stories from the Bible that give our kids real-life examples of choices: some are acts of disobedience that lead to destruction, but many are choices that lead to the abundant life that God promises to believers through obedience to His commands.
We aren’t perfect, but God is! And as we LEAD our children toward God through the stories and examples from the Bible in our bedtime rituals and other teachable moments during the day, they will learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus who is able to LEAD others toward the right path—the path of righteousness.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. -Hebrews 4:12
Jan Lashbrook is the Early Childhood Program Director at Calvary Christian Academy. She and her husband are “empty-nesters,” having raised three children who are all grown and married. Their youngest attended CCA for 12 years, graduating in 2012.
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Carpelo Jeoboam11/28/2020 @ 10:42 AMThank you for always sharing your wisdom and guidance with grace and eloquence. I value the insights that you share with us through these teachable moments. Stay Blessed!
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