<\/p>\n
There are moments in life when something ordinary suddenly feels holy, moments when we sense God pressing pause and gently saying, \u201cSlow down. Look closely. There is something I want you to notice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It happened to me recently while I was scrolling through Instagram on Halloween night. I wasn\u2019t looking for anything in particular. I was scrolling through videos and looking at photos of families and children dressed up and enjoying a fun evening together when a video caught my attention \u2013 just a short clip someone had posted. Still, God used it to whisper something straight to my heart.<\/p>\n
It showed a little girl, around ten years old, in front of her home. Her brother, who was about three years old, stood next to her \u2013 carefree and trusting, as younger siblings often are. Suddenly, with a burst of playfulness, she scooped him up and flipped him upside down. Then, a father\u2019s voice could be heard from behind the camera; it was one of our pastors:<\/p>\n
\u201cPut him down, Selah. Let\u2019s not do that. I love you! Good job.\u201d<\/p>\n
His tone was calm. His correction was precise but not crushing. His words were firm but fully wrapped in affection. The camera remained focused on the children, but the father’s voice struck a chord with me. My eyes filled with tears because in that simple exchange, I was reminded of the voice of our Heavenly Father. A Father who instructs but never shames. Who protects without belittling. Who corrects, yet celebrates. Who says, \u201cLet\u2019s not do that,\u201d but follows with, \u201cI love you. You\u2019re doing well.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His response was filled with grace. There was no explosion of anger. No sigh of frustration. No hint that her mistake made her less valued or cherished. It was direction anchored in delight. Discipline anchored in love. Guidance anchored in relationship.<\/p>\n
And isn\u2019t that exactly how God deals with us?<\/p>\n
Often, we brace ourselves for a harsh response when we make a mistake. Sadly, somewhere along the way, many of us have learned to expect a God who is easily disappointed, arms crossed, head shaking \u2013 waiting to point out our failures. But that is not the God of Scripture.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.<\/em>\u201d \u00a0Psalm 103:8<\/p>\n The God of the Scripture is a God who is patient, kind, and who delights in His children. His correction isn\u2019t for punishment \u2013 it\u2019s for our protection. And it always flows from love.<\/p>\n The writer of Hebrews reminds us that: \u201cThe Lord disciplines the one He loves.<\/em>\u201d \u00a0Hebrews 12:6<\/p>\n A loving parent intervenes not because a child is a burden, but because their well-being matters. The God of the Scripture is a loving God who does the same.<\/p>\n As I replayed that little moment over and over in my mind, I sensed God reminding me that this is how he corrects me. Not with irritation. Not with impatience. \u00a0Not with threats. But with the steadiness of a Father who adores me. A Father who says, \u201cI see you are trying. \u00a0I see your heart. Let me show you a better way.\u201d So often the voice within us speaks differently \u2013 it speaks condemnation: \u201cYou should know better.\u201d \u201cYou failed again.\u201d \u201cYou will never get this right.\u201d But that voice is not God\u2019s. That voice produces fear. God\u2019s voice produces love \u2014 even in correction:<\/p>\n \u201cPerfect love drives out fear<\/em>.\u201d \u00a01 John 4:18<\/p>\n Fear may manipulate behavior, but love transforms the heart.<\/p>\n Hearing that dad guiding with gentleness made something rise inside me! This is what I want to be like. I want to correct without crushing. I want to lead without losing connection. I want to discipline without damaging trust. I want my children \u2013 and now my grandchildren \u2013 to always feel safe and loved when I speak to them. God doesn\u2019t just model love for His sake \u2013 He models it for ours.<\/p>\n We are called to parent from:<\/p>\n When we correct from love, not irritation, we reflect the heart of the Shepherd who will do what it takes to restore the one who wanders.<\/p>\n \u201cHe will tend His flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in His arms.<\/em>\u201d Isaiah 40:11<\/p>\n A shepherd guides with authority \u2013 but carries with tenderness.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the truth that impacted me that night: God does not wait for us to learn the lesson before loving us. We are loved in the learning. We are held in the correction. We are treasured in the growth. The Father doesn\u2019t call us \u201cgood\u201d once we\u2019re perfect \u2013 He calls us \u201cbeloved\u201d while we are still becoming. You may hear Him say, \u201cThat wasn\u2019t the best choice.\u201d But at the same time, He\u2019s saying, \u201cI\u2019m not letting go of you.\u201d Just like my pastor, the father in the video, He follows correction with encouragement:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still glad you\u2019re mine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re going to get this right together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cI delight in you.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s His heart. He is not harsh, does not humiliate, and does not reject. He leads, restores, and stays!\u00a0<\/p>\n If you ever wonder how God speaks to us, listen to Jesus. His words were correction and compassion. Truth and tenderness. When He restored Peter after his denial, He didn\u2019t yell, \u201cHow could you!?\u201d He asked relational questions: \u201cPeter, do you love Me?\u201d He offered purpose: \u201cFeed My sheep.\u201d He gave a future: \u201cFollow Me.\u201d That\u2019s what love sounds like. \u00a0<\/p>\n Jesus is God\u2019s gentle voice in human form.<\/p>\n Father, thank You for speaking to me with such tenderness and love. Thank You that Your correction never comes as rejection, but as an invitation to walk more closely with You. Help me recognize Your voice \u2013 steady, patient, full of grace \u2013 even when I stumble. And Lord, help me reflect that same voice to the children in my life. When I correct them, may they feel seen, protected, and deeply loved. Shape me into a parent and grandparent who points to who You are \u2013 a perfect Father whose love never fails. \u00a0Amen.<\/p>\n When you think about God correcting you, what tone do you imagine He uses? According to scripture, what is His tone when He corrects His children?\u00a0<\/p>\n What messages of shame, fear, or inadequacy tend to play in your mind? Where have these messages come from? \u00a0Write down 2\u20133 Scriptures that replace those lies with God\u2019s truth about you.<\/p>\n Think of a situation recently that you wish you had handled differently. How did you feel that God responded to you in that situation? According to Scripture, how might He actually react to you?\u00a0<\/p>\n How would you describe the tone of your voice when correcting children in your life? Where might God be inviting you to show more gentleness, patience, or grace?<\/p>\n List one practical way this week you can speak correction with compassion, offer encouragement alongside guidance, and model the Father\u2019s love in your home.<\/p>\n Write a short prayer thanking God for the ways He has guided, protected, and patiently led you \u2013 even in moments when you didn\u2019t notice His kindness.<\/p>\n Photo credit: \u00a9GettyImages\/fizkes<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Gina Smith<\/em><\/strong> is a wife of 37 years, mom of 2, and grandma of 3. She is \u00a0a writer and author, writing her very first published book in her empty nest years. She has a passion to come alongside the younger generation to encourage them, strengthen them in God, and learn from them. \u00a0You can find Gina at her website www.ginalsmith.com, and her book Everyday Prayers for Joy can be found anywhere books are sold.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are moments in life when something ordinary suddenly feels holy, moments when we sense God pressing pause and gently saying, \u201cSlow down. Look closely. There is something I want you to notice.\u201d\u00a0 It happened to me recently while I was scrolling through Instagram on Halloween night. I wasn\u2019t looking for anything in particular. I<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[301,182,137,1205,145,581,1204],"class_list":["post-9394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-prayer","tag-fear","tag-god","tag-heart","tag-leading","tag-love","tag-parents","tag-reflect"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}A Model for Our Parenting<\/h2>\n
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Loved While Learning<\/h2>\n
The Father\u2019s Voice in Jesus<\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s Pray<\/h2>\n
Reflection and the Spiritual Discipline of Journaling:<\/h2>\n