Have you ever noticed that some activities drain you, and some actions energize you?
If you were to ask me, “Kevin… What are the most important things in your life?” I’d definitely answer that my faith, my family, and my church were in the top three. I love them all very much.
But… If I’m honest, when I’m faced with the task of watching my kids, I will, at times, find it to be a draining experience. It’s not just because the kids are disobedient or difficult. It has more to do with me than them.
Our perspectives war with us. A wrong perspective can rob you of the joy that is so evident in an opportunity.
We often experience this as parents.
We say our kids are priorities. We’d even say they’re one of the highest priorities we have. But… How often do we make them a chore? How often are we caught looking at our phones and not looking them in the eyes?
We’re guilty of this as we lead our kids, too.
Think about it… How often do we make good, healthy things overbearing and unpleasant for our kids?
Maybe there’s a simple solution… Have fun!
Typically we tell our kids to clean their room. It’s their mess, their job. It’s not fun. It’s perhaps even a bit out of reach for their skill set.
What if we took a different approach? What if we got involved? What if we made a game of cleaning the rooms? What if we decided to make it relational and fun? The same outcome. Different approaches.
It’s important to remember that this is precisely how our Heavenly Father
approached our mess. He got involved. He came near. And… He made our mess His mess. And… Remember that Jesus is described as being “full of joy” (Luke 10:21).
Maybe our families will be more energized around the right things if we learn to make them fun!
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How can you make things more fun at home without sacrificing the outcome?