Written by Dr. Kyle Barrett, Director of Spiritual Formation

I don’t remember a lot of things about elementary school but for some reason learning to write sticks out to me. I couldn’t comfortably hold the pencil the way my teacher showed us so I had to improvise which caused a pretty big callous to develop on one of my knuckles. I can remember how big it was and how little I could feel on that finger. The things you remember as a kid!

Life has a way of creating callouses in our hearts, places where we lack feeling and sensitivity towards God and others. Anytime we are short with our spouse, overly frustrated at our kids, or fed up with the actions of a family member we can be sure that in some way we are experiencing a lack of awareness of the mercy of God in our lives.

Tripp says, “When I’m humbly able to say it’s impossible for me to do the things that God has called me to do without his mercy, then I want that mercy for my children too. It’s that tenderness of heart that makes me tender with my children.”

It’s only as we bask in the reality of God’s mercy shown to us that we can then extend that mercy to our children.

I hope you’ll grab a copy of Paul Tripp’s book, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family (HERE).