You really CAN stop YELLING at your kids!

I recently posted about being a THANKFUL mother and a JOYFUL mother. Well, today, I want to talk about being a PEACEFUL mother to your children.   I was recently out shopping and saw a mother yell at her preschool aged child, belittle him, and speak hurtful words to him. I admit that the child was not being obedient, but that is the MOTHER'S fault for not properly training. (That is for another post.)    This always makes me feel so sad.  The children paying the consequences for their mother's lack of self control, joy, and lack of training.    If you have a habit of yelling at your kids and losing your temper, and you call yourself a Christ-follower, then this post is for you.  

This post will not apply if you haven't made a decision to follow Christ in your life and, by faith, live out  your Christianity by following God's Word. With that disclaimer, I want to look at a few verses of what it means to be a follower of Christ:

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 

- James 1:19-20



Fools give full vent to their rage,
but the wise bring calm in the end.
- Proverbs 29:11



Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

- Ecclesiastes 7:9



A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word
stirs up anger.

- Proverbs 15:1



Make no friendship with an angry man,
And with a furious man do not go,
Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.
- Proverbs 22:24-25

Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one 

who is quick-tempered displays folly.

- Proverbs 14:29

I think it's pretty clear that God doesn't want us to be full of anger, rage, and yelling. A few weeks ago, I shared Philippians 2 that tells us that "a servant of the Lord must not argue...but be gentle to all."

This is not just a bad habit, friend, this is a sin issue. The Bible is pretty clear.

I hear a lot of parents with lots of excuses. "I can't help it." "I probably need to work on that problem." etc. That is the bad news....you have something that needs to be fixed. But God doesn't just throw condemnation at us....He gives us EVERYTHING WE NEED to live a godly life. He doesn't just tell us "don't yell at your kids anymore," He gives us the tools we need to walk that out in real life. That is GOOD NEWS!!!!

This is the exciting part!!!! This one tidbit can transform so many aspects of your life!!! Being a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us! That is the first and most important bit of good news. But unless you understand how exciting that is, it won't matter in your life. BECAUSE He lives inside of us, we have HIS fruit at our disposal. It is OURS too! Galatians 5:22-23 says:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."

Isn't that awesome fruit? Let's read this in light of yelling at your kids. Yelling is not loving, joyful, long-suffering. It's not kind, good, gentle and it surely doesn't show self-control! But when we parent on our own strength and flesh... that is the result we get. But when we parent with the Holy Spirit's power...we CAN have self-control... and be loving, joyful and gentle. You just need to, by faith, choose to parent in the Spirit's power and not your flesh. You really CAN stop yelling. You can choose to parent in God's strength... and stop yelling from now on! Isn't that exciting? You aren't powerless. In your own strength, yes you are, but you have God living IN YOU. And that is awesome news!!!!!