Parenting Through Conflict
Fight or flight are the easy ways to parent through conflict. Jesus gives us a third way that makes us well off in the world and the Kingdom.
It’s easy to parent towards fighting back in conflict.
It’s easy to parent towards fleeing in conflict.
It’s hard to parent towards standing strong, looking the other in the eye and letting them do what they want.
Comfort is the #1 value in parenting. Make our students as comfortable as possible.
Conflict is not comfortable. Thus, squash it or avoid it at all costs.
To love those who do not love us is uncomfortable.
And yet, this is an oddly beautiful life.
Think of the coming of age movie in which shows the hero going out of their way to respect a bully instead of fighting or fleeing.
Jesus’ way is the way that brings Life. Life to our own soul and Life to others’ souls.
When you lead your students to love your enemies, you lead them to be well off in God’s Kingdom.
You lead them to be well off in the world, because very little will phase them.
You lead them to be well off because they become willing to do anything and go anywhere for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.
When conflict comes, help your student find the third way. Not the way of fight or flight.
This third way requires a greater trust in God. A trust God will give us the reputation he needs us to have. A trust being liked to those around us doesn’t matter as much as loving those around us. A trust that his Kingdom values and actions will give us Life.
And you get to pass on a trust in what you can’t see is greater than a trust in what you can see.