That was me. Maybe it still IS. I hope I’m more loving and less loud and boisterous about my faith. Unfortunately, my forcefulness pushed my kids away in some cases. They got quiet. They didn’t express themselves. They didn’t feel like they could share openly and honestly. It wasn’t unifying at all. It created a disconnect. I’m not saying that we should abandon our convictions and cave to the culture. What I am saying is that we need to listen and practice Ephesians 4, which encourages us to build unity and speak truth in love. Unity is JUST as important as love. Divisiveness isn’t unifying or loving. Loud pulpit pounding isn’t an effective evangelism technique—what makes us think it’s an effective child-raising technique?

Suggested Reading: Ephesians 4:15