“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” – Ephesians 6:4

Children need encouragement like a plant needs water. They need it over and over again.

And you need to catch them doing something right! Let them know you believe in them. Let your speech affirm them. Be positive. Constantly encourage them.

Encouragement is twice as powerful as praise. Praise says, “You are great because you did something.” Now there’s nothing wrong with praise, but I’m just saying that encouragement is twice as strong as praise. There’s a real difference. Encouragement looks at a child not primarily for what the child achieves, but for who the child is—and says “Thank you. I’m so grateful for you.”

It’s a fine line, but think about it. Catch your children doing something right and let them know through your encouragement that you believe in them.

For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit

www.lwf.org.