13 Dec Parenting – Chapter 5
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul Tripp
Chapter 5 – Nathan Lewis
We struggle with identity crisis and the gospel puts an end to it by proclaiming our identity in Jesus. In Chapter 5, “Identity,” of his book “Parenting,” Paul Tripp frees us from the bondage of defining our identity in our children’s performance. He writes, “What is going on when a parent drives a child to mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion, to the point where the child is willing to throw his or her life away to escape the demands?” Tripp answers this question by suggesting that we parents tend to build our identity upon our children. I may not be a Tiger Mom, but subtly, I pressure my child to perform for the purpose of making me look good.
Tripp calls us to find our identity in Jesus, who has borne our sins and who has freely given to us the righteousness of God. Tripp writes, “If you are not resting in your vertical identity, you will look horizontally, searching to find yourself and your reason for living in something in creation.” He then lists God’s gifts to us, including our children, which we could idolize and make the foundation of our personal identity.
It just so happens that I am preaching a sermon series at Evergreen Presbyterian Church, titled, “Who R U? Our Identity in Christ.” If you would like more information that expands Paul Tripp’s Chapter 5, “Identity,” then go to www.evergreenpca.com and listen to the sermons I’ve posted on this topic.