Flip through any trendy parenting magazine today and you’ll find an endless list of tips and techniques on how to rear your children “responsibly.” Schedules, healthy meals, baby aerobics, and Baby Einstein—the world has plenty to say about “successful” parenting. Frustrated dads and desperate moms can find quick, easy solutions to meet their immediate need. Some say, if Johnny refuses to eat his green beans, just give him what he wants. Don’t force him to eat something he doesn’t like, and certainly don’t punish him for expressing himself. The important thing is to “build his self-esteem.”
Tips like that may provide immediate comfort to a frantic parent, but what’s the long-term effect? As you’ll hear today from John, the world’s pragmatic, short-term solutions come with a huge price-tag. Here’s John MacArthur to explain . . .
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Listen to John’s sermon excerpt, then take these questions to the comment thread:
(1) How have you seen churches cater to the self-esteem parenting movement (e.g., parenting classes, youth programs)? Be specific.
(2) God has provided every social institution with a means to promote order and discipline—to the government, the sword; to the church, excommunication; and to parents, the rod of correction. What happens in society, in the church, and in the home, when God-ordained authority refuses to implement discipline? What are the parallels?
(3) Parents, what advice would you give to a mom or dad headed down the road of self-esteem parenting? Is it too late for them to turn around? If it’s not too late, what practical changes can they make?
