I’ve been a mom for almost 33 years now, and one of the most profound lessons I’ve learned as a mother is that no two children are the same. They have different personalities, and different needs. So while you can love all of your children the same, you cannot teach, correct, or discipline them the same. The Lord used a passage in Isaiah to remind me of this fact years ago: “[The farmer] doesn’t thresh all grains the same. A sledge is never used on dill, but it is beaten with a stick. A threshing wheel is never rolled on cumin, but it is beaten softly with a flail. Bread grain is easily crushed, so he doesn’t keep on pounding it.” (Isaiah 28:27-28 TLB) These verses reveal how the Lord deals with each of His children differently. But it also applies to how we should deal with our own children.
Because my older son, as a child, was more stubborn and obstinate–like his mom was–my husband and I often needed to back up our instructions with disciplinary action. On the other hand, most of the time, all my younger son required to demonstrate obedience was a firm voice of instruction. It didn’t take long for my husband and I to figure out that each of our children required a different style of parenting and correction.
The final verse of this passage of Isaiah’s says: “The Lord Almighty is a wonderful teacher and gives the farmer wisdom.” (Isaiah 28:29 TLB) You and I, as believers, have a wealth of wisdom available to us to raise our children to be happy, healthy, and godly. Our God is a “wonderful teacher,” and He is eager to help us succeed as parents. Are you making the most of your privileges as a Christian parent today?