I have a few words that I want to share with parents.  It’s really two quotes I’ve stolen.  One is from a dear friend, and the other is from the Beth Moore Bible study Believing God.

The first phrase, that has been jumping to mind often, is “People do people-y things.”  This is really a comment on human nature.  While we may be disappointed in the actions of others, we have to remember (in the words of Steven Curtis Chapman):

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God

Only God is God.  We are mankind.  And people do people-y (imperfect) things.  On our own, our behavior (or our hearts, at least) will never achieve a perfect 10. Our children fall into the same category we do.  While parenting, we need to remember that there will be times when our children behave imperfectly.  Their attitudes may need adjusting.  Their actions may need changing.  This is our time to teach them the five statements I have stolen from Beth Moore:

1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God’s word is alive and active in me.

The only way to change our lives and attitudes is to believe God- not just in him, but to really believe him.  We need to be children of God.  Otherwise we are just people.  And people do people-y things.