Now, I have only been a Dad for a short time. But, I can tell you one of the best ways to avoid the forgiveness aspect of grace with your kids is to dignify them with your presence. I don’t just mean physical presence. I mean all of you hanging out with them. Maybe watching TV, maybe wrestling, maybe a tea party, just be with them. Play with them.
My son and I act much better towards each other when I get down into his life. Normally, that means playing trucks or more recently racing them. The point is that I treat him like he is one of the most important people in the world to me. I give him dignity and respect when we play together. I disrespect him when I prioritize my phone over him which means I disrespect him a lot.
Do you want to survive
The fun part is that dignity is different for everyone. For some kids it means leaving them alone. For others it means wrapping them up in your arms all day. Regardless, you have to be willing to grace them with your presence whenever they desire it. You have to respect them, so they can respect you. Respect is about dignity, and dignity is intimately linked with grace.
