What do we say when our babies take their first steps, when our son ties his shoelaces  by himself,  when our middle schooler passes a tough math exam? Wouldn’t you say, “Good job!”? I hope so!  There is joy in taking pleasure in our children’s accomplishments.

             However, in addition to that, have you thought about expressing delight in who your children are?

            These Bible verses remind us that each of us is a wonderful creation made by God whose every work is good.

            “How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.” Psalm 139:14 (NIRV)

            “So God created human beings in His own likeness. He created them to be like Himself.” Genesis 1:27 (NIRV)

We can call our children “amazing” and attach it to the sole condition of being the Lord’s handiwork.          

            To make a comparison, consider these examples. Dorothy’s red shoes worn in The Wizard of Oz were priced to auction at six million dollars! A Kleenex used by Scarlett Johansson was sold on e-bay for $2050! A piece of toast, half eaten by Niall Horan, member of the English boy band One Direction, was reportedly purchased for $100 000 (Business Insider, 2020)! Wow! These items are clearly not worth that much in and of themselves. Nevertheless, their value skyrocketed because of WHO owned them. Our status of being “wonderful” comes from whose we are – God’s!

            Of course, parents need to correct their children’s behaviour at times.  Obviously, we confront a son or daughter for a job poorly done. Yet, when we give that discipline, our children will likely receive it better if they have a firm sense of their unchanging value as God’s creation. Dealing with failure, admitting a wrong and facing rejection are all so much easier to face knowing that our “amazing and wonderful” nature does not depend on anything we do or anything others say,  but on the fact that we’ve been made by God.

            Let’s continue the exclamations of “good job!” for our kids’ exciting accomplishments and also remember to also praise them for who they are.