Deliberate Discipleship

When I’m completely honest with myself, the word deliberate often sparks a sense of pressure—an expectation for intentional planning or scheduling of some kind. Somehow, just hearing the word instinctively brings to mind the tasks that are constantly vying for my attention. But could there be another way to frame deliberate?

What if we saw it as an invitation to choose?

Should I make chocolate chip cookies for an after-school snack to deliberately show my children that I’m thinking of them? That I’m excited to hear about their day? That I know what warms their hearts?

Or should I prepare a veggie tray with hummus to deliberately demonstrate that I care about their well-being? That I want them to feel loved? That I recognize what’s best for their physical health?

The word deliberate means to weigh, consider, and examine the reasons for or against something. Being deliberate is directly connected to both choice and consequence. So, what do we mean by deliberate discipleship?

You’ve probably heard the saying that much of what we learn in life is caught, not taught. As a parent, that truth can stop you in your tracks—like coming face-to-face with a rattlesnake on a trail—when you consider its weight. (No pun intended.) Our children are always watching. They pick up on what we model, whether we’re aware of it or not.

With that in mind, I have to ask myself: Am I more deliberate about what I do over the course of any given day than about who I am?

Homemade cookies are a wonderful treat, but they’re no substitute for an encouraging word spoken from a sincere heart. Healthy eating builds strong bodies, but it can’t undo the damage of toxic, demanding, or harsh communication filled with unrealistic expectations.

Being deliberate with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control means making intentional choices that reflect Jesus to your children. These qualities are the fruit of God’s Spirit, and they are fully available to us at all times.

In our hurried, busy lives, we don’t always feel joyful or peaceful. But we can still deliberately disciple our children by choosing faith and trust over frustration and anxiety. The former builds joy and peace, while the latter tears them down.

I’ll admit that gentleness is often a challenge for me. My natural directness can sometimes come across as lacking empathy. But I’ve learned that gentle encouragement, given before offering solutions, strengthens relationships and opens hearts to different perspectives.

As parents, we must take the time to reflect on how we’re leading the children God has entrusted to us—because they are following our lead. We must be deliberate about how we live before we can be deliberate about what we teach. Our personal choices lay the foundation for any lesson we hope to impart.

Simply put, practice what you plan to preach.

A leader is someone who goes first. When your children see you authentically living out what you teach, you open a door. And through that open door, you have the opportunity to train them in the way they should go.

This version maintains the original heart of the message while improving readability and flow. Let me know if you’d like any additional refinements!Here’s your cleaned-up and polished version of the blog post, ensuring proper grammar, spelling, and clarity while maintaining the original tone and message:

Deliberate Discipleship

When I’m completely honest with myself, the word deliberate often sparks a sense of pressure—an expectation for intentional planning or scheduling of some kind. Somehow, just hearing the word instinctively brings to mind the tasks that are constantly vying for my attention. But could there be another way to frame deliberate?

What if we saw it as an invitation to choose?

Should I make chocolate chip cookies for an after-school snack to deliberately show my children that I’m thinking of them? That I’m excited to hear about their day? That I know what warms their hearts?

Or should I prepare a veggie tray with hummus to deliberately demonstrate that I care about their well-being? That I want them to feel loved? That I recognize what’s best for their physical health?

The word deliberate means to weigh, consider, and examine the reasons for or against something. Being deliberate is directly connected to both choice and consequence. So, what do we mean by deliberate discipleship?

You’ve probably heard the saying that much of what we learn in life is caught, not taught. As a parent, that truth can stop you in your tracks—like coming face-to-face with a rattlesnake on a trail—when you consider its weight. (No pun intended.) Our children are always watching. They pick up on what we model, whether we’re aware of it or not.

With that in mind, I have to ask myself: Am I more deliberate about what I do over the course of any given day than about who I am?

Homemade cookies are a wonderful treat, but they’re no substitute for an encouraging word spoken from a sincere heart. Healthy eating builds strong bodies, but it can’t undo the damage of toxic, demanding, or harsh communication filled with unrealistic expectations.

Being deliberate with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control means making intentional choices that reflect Jesus to your children. These qualities are the fruit of God’s Spirit, and they are fully available to us at all times.

In our hurried, busy lives, we don’t always feel joyful or peaceful. But we can still deliberately disciple our children by choosing faith and trust over frustration and anxiety. The former builds joy and peace, while the latter tears them down.

I’ll admit that gentleness is often a challenge for me. My natural directness can sometimes come across as lacking empathy. But I’ve learned that gentle encouragement, given before offering solutions, strengthens relationships and opens hearts to different perspectives.

As parents, we must take the time to reflect on how we’re leading the children God has entrusted to us—because they are following our lead. We must be deliberate about how we live before we can be deliberate about what we teach. Our personal choices lay the foundation for any lesson we hope to impart.

Simply put, practice what you plan to preach.

A leader is someone who goes first. When your children see you authentically living out what you teach, you open a door. And through that open door, you have the opportunity to train them in the way they should go.