Global Parenting System

Do you remember using a paper map to plan your vacation or to figure

out where you’re going when you’re lost? I can remember having to pull

over to the side of the road to break out the map and figure out where

we were at. You had to figure out how to read the legend, follow the

roads and intersections, and there was no zooming in to find the next

turn. After years of frustration the Global Positioning System came on

the scene and changed the world of travel as we knew it.

The GPS offered us something the map never could. It travels with us

everywhere we go, it talks to us, and tell us when to turn and what

the traffic looks like down the road. You can never get lost with a

GPS because it will show you where you’re at even if you made a wrong

turn along the way. A lot of people have even named their GPS. It’s

like a member of their family and they couldn’t survive travel without

Many of us were raised with paper map parents. They handed us a list

of rules and sent us on our way. They expected us to “just figure it

out.” However, contrary to this parenting model God has a different

parenting strategy.

4Fathers, don't exasperate your children by coming down hard on them.

Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.

Ephesians 4:6 (The Message)

Don’t get caught up on the “Fathers” part. This is a message we should

all strive toward accomplishing. God has called each of us to be a

part of the Global Parenting System. According to His word He wants us

to take our children by the hand and guide them. He wants us to travel

with them, talk to them; tell them when to turn and how to avoid

traffic and potential dangers. It’s not enough to just hand them an

instruction booklet and say good luck with life. Parents are called to

a lifelong commitment to loving and leading our children. We must get

involved and become parents we were called to be and our kids needs us

to be.