About the Book:
Whenever you influence the thinking, behavior, or development of another person, you are leading. Nowhere, then, is your impact as a leader felt more dramatically than in your own family—no matter what role you play. What kind of legacy will you leave?
Filled with practical examples and easily applied principles, this book lays out a dynamic H4 framework to help you align your heart, head, hands, and habits to Lead Your Family Like Jesus. When you do, leadership will become a joy—as your entire family benefits from ongoing feelings of safety, security, and satisfaction.
My Review:
According to Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, the definition of the word lead includes the following:
- To guide by the hand; as, to lead a child. It often includes the sense of drawing as well as of directing.
- To go before and show the way.
- To conduct, as a chief or commander, implying authority; to direct and govern; as, a general leads his troops to battle and to victory.
As parents, it is our God-given responsibility to guide our children by the hand, draw them into a relationship with Jesus, go before them to set the example, and to direct them with authority. That is how Jesus led his disciples. And whether you want to admit it or not, that’s what parenting is — discipleship. It is our job to disciple our children by allowing Jesus to disciple us first and then following His example. Sadly, too many children are being lead astray because parents are not the primary influences in their lives. Parents are not leading, not from lack of desire, but from lack of know-how.
I have often heard it said that children don’t come with a manual. Well, I disagree. Children do come with a manual — it’s called the Bible. But even those of us who know this as truth often struggle with how to lead our children according to the precepts of our “manual.” If you are one of these parents, then Lead Your Family like Jesus may be the perfect commentary for you.
Within the pages of this useful and inspiring book, you’ll find 12 principles, divided into 4 categories — The Heart, The Head, The Hands, and The Habits. The book is designed to help you, the parent, align these 4 areas so that your family functions in a secure, joyful, safe way.
The authors took me on a journey of discovery as I learned more about these principles, read their personal stories, and began to understand how to apply the life of Jesus to my own parenting. There were many times I saw myself or my husband inside these pages. As a parent, it’s often very difficult not to know exactly what to do when presented with a challenging behavior or attitude from our kids. Tempers can flare, words can be harsh, disciplining poor behavior, without examining the heart can become the norm.
It’s very convicting to realize that you’ve allowed habits into your family that are potentially destroying your relationships. But believe me, there is help within the pages of God’s Word, and this book will help guide you to that truth.There is so much Scripture cited throughout this book to help parents understand not only what would Jesus do, but what He did. And how can we apply what Jesus did to our families. There is solid, practical advice here. Because what we do as parents can have eternal consequences, not only for our kids, but for generations to come.
ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES. Let that sink in for a moment.
If you are a fearful parent — this book is for you.
If you are a prideful parent — this book is for you.
If you are a selfish parent — this book is for you.
If you are a parent without vision for your family — this book is for you.
If you are an inconsistent parent — this book is for you.
If you are an engaged, on track, consistent, involved, communicative parent — this book is even for you.
If you are a parent at all — this book is for you.
I’ll close by sharing a few of my favorite quotes from the book. These little nuggets will give you an idea of what you’re in store for when you read Lead Your Family Like Jesus.
Just knowing about the long-term view wasn’t enough for Jesus, of course. Everything He did was about the forever benefits, and He calls us to do the same.
If we are to lead our children as He led, we need to focus on His Father as He did.
Leadership is about going somewhere. It’s about making a difference. When you lead your family like Jesus, the difference you hope to make is that your children will not only obey you, but also obey God — and be a beneficial part of His family as well as yours.
The power of solitude, prayer, and the study of Scripture can’t be overemphasized. Together they can help us become parents who, like Jesus, are servant leaders.
To serve your children as Christ serves us means honoring God and His commandments and putting the love of Jesus into your parenting. When you do that, you’ll leave a positive legacy for your children, their children, and their children’s children.
Lead Your Family Like Jesus retails for $19.99 and is available at many retail outlets. It can be purchased at amazon.com for $13.59 and is also available for your Kindle or Kindle app for $9.99. You can download this excerpt and begin reading right now!
About Tricia Goyer:
Read more about Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges in their author bios, found here.
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