3 questions to ask when parenting based on strengths

Working with families who have teenagers at home is always a novel and often difficult experience.

As one youth leader said after returning home from summer camp, “We are dealing with very hard situations, such as homosexually, self harm, depression and anxiety. It truly was a heartbreaking time at camp to hear their stories and all the things going on in their homes.”

Is there a way families can make changes and bring grace, love and peace into their homes?

When moms and dads begin parenting based on strengths, they will, over time, be able to experience a transformation in their homes and see their teens in a new light.

What does it mean to parent based on strengths? First, let us understand what we mean by the term “strengths.” A strength is something you are good at, you feel good doing and you choose to do it often.

Here are three questions parents should ask when parenting through strengths:

How has the Lord specifically gifted you as a parent?
The Bible tells us that every human being is made in the image of God. Moreover, God has entrusted all His image bearers with a variety of strengths. He desires for us to discover, develop and use our strengths in every aspect of our lives — especially in our homes.

How has the Lord uniquely designed and gifted your teenager?
The Lord wants you to take a front row seat and explore what excites your teenager, what comes natural to them, how they learn and what energizes them.

How can we all use these strengths to live as Christ today and into the future?
Have you ever stopped to consider that God has strategically placed your teenager in your home? God desires that you discover how He has wired them. He wants you to cultivate and connect to their hearts in a deeper, long-lasting way.

The Bible says it this way: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV).

Parenting from strengths is a game-changer.

Parenting based on strengths will give you new opportunities, new perspectives, new purposes and a new fascination for disciple-making in your home.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The N.C. Baptist Faith at Home ministry is hosting a free “Parenting Based on Strengths” event for ministry leaders on Monday, Aug. 31. To learn more and to register, click here.

Join us Aug. 31 to learn how to help families discover parenting based on strengths.

Email [email protected] or call (800) 395-5102, ext. 5646