Photo by Mark Wilson

There is an age-old debate
that affects how I see myself.

Some say I am
broken
damaged
faulty

So I am stuck.

While others say I am
unique
special
gifted

So I can do anything.

And the controversy sometimes gets heated
While parents get confused.
No one is sure how to move ahead.

Some leaders say those who work at building children’s self-esteem are raising kids who will exhibit a lifestyle of entitlement and egotism.

Other specialists say those who talk about children being innately bad are raising a generation that feels inferior and insignificant.

Every expert has an opinion. Many promote their agenda by pushing the opposing opinion to the extreme.

It happens in
education
politics
economics
and even
religion.

Cults and heresies start by teaching what’s true, then push a truth to an extreme while separating it from other balancing truths.

We love to analyze, scrutinize, and dissect truths until they are twisted and some cases, lifeless.

By the time Jesus showed up in culture,
the Pharisees had systematically distorted what was timeless into a code of behavior for their generation.

So Jesus very carefully picked up the pieces of broken truth
and neatly re-arranged them with love in the center.

Then everything made sense.

Those who teach have a critical responsibility to present God’s truth in a way that
captures the imagination
engages the mind
appeals to the heart

It’s less about information and
more about transformation.

Christianity is a journey where you move in and out of recurring insights that collectively form a higher view of the world.

What are those insights?
They begin with understanding the
Design
Identity
Connection
of who you are.

You can add
Faith
Transformation
Truth
as you continue to discover how to live.

You will soon realize that the
Christian faith is paradoxical.

God is love.
But God is just.

We live by faith, not works.
But faith without works is dead.

I am broken.
But I am redeemable.
Both are true at the same time.

It is important to discover my untapped uniqueness in the light of my evident imperfection.
Understanding them both is essential for my future.

Who I believe I am
will affect who I become.

God designed you with an intrinsic sense of worth and significance.

According to what God has said about you
You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
You are His workmanship created to do good works.
You are the light of the world, the salt of the earth.

So it’s your move.

To discover your
physical talents
spiritual gifts
personality traits

It’s ok to believe that you have been made in a remarkable way.

It’s healthy to figure out how to tap into your strengths
so you can live a better story.

It’s wise to discover
and to encourage others to discover.

Discovery is a shared experience,
and a personal process at the same time.

If your job as a parent is to
“help your child move in a positive or forward direction,”
then remember that means you often lead them one step at a time.

So here’s the question for today: In what ways do you help your children discover who they really are and who they are becoming? How can you help them discover a healthy sense of identity?