Twice in the last couple of days I had two boys speak to me in gruff sassy tones that made me raise my eyebrows a bit. They had both been storming about and generally putting off a negative vibe and adversarial spirit.
In days gone by, I might have gotten angry and told them to shape up. I might have even launched into a lecture about respect. Neither reaction would have done anybody any good. In my journey away from angry reactions toward gentle biblical responses to my kids’ behavior, I have learned to have much more empathy for my boys. My desire is to come alongside them and help them problem solve instead of punish at the drop of a dime. So when my boys own angry attitudes and inappropriate words became a pattern recently, the Holy Spirit checked me and prompted me to ask this important question:
“Son, you are really upset and this isn’t like you. What’s REALLY going on? What is the reason you are REALLY feeling so angry?”
Each time, they immediately spilled their guts in a flood of tears and relief.