Raised by the Hand of God

Paul J. Bucknell
_________________________

Purpose

Back in 2006 and 2007, our family opened our home to be part of a British documentary. We thought it would be good to share our perspective on Biblical parenting called, "Raised by the Hand of God." Things can often be greatly distorted as they want to grab attention. I would like to make a few comments on the final copy (which we had no say in).

Personal Review of Raised by the Hand of God

When we were approached about doing this documentary, we had reservations about volunteering our family.

Imagine a live film crew in your house for a week! They get to take pictures of your dirty laundry, meal times, cleaning and, of course, record every word you say.

Say it wrong and, well, they may use it as they want. But God gave Linda a verse, "The righteous is a guide to his neighbor" (Proverbs 12:26). Through this verse, God gave us hope that somehow He could use it for His own purposes despite possible bad reactions. So we pray that the film will be honestly used to be a guide to our 'neighbors' around the world.

We know so many families that privately struggle raising their children. Their children climb on the table instead of sitting and eating their meal. They are too ashamed to go places. We hope this film and perhaps the many other materials that we have will be of help to them.

On the whole, we are content with the way the documentary turned out. Those who have seen it, find it helpful. Of course, it could have been so much better had they more fully represented what we said.Their purpose was to focus on our use of a rod. That is part of our child training, an important part, but it is only a small part. They briefly mention the reason for it but not in a balanced way. The rod is there for two reasons.

Take a look at our new book, Principles and Practices of Biblical Parenting: Raising Godly Children. Check out the BFF Resource Center for this book and many other helpful and relevant resources (308 pages).

Great for a Parenting Class!
Perfect for individual study!

You can purchase our parenting, marriage and other articles, handouts, videos at our store!

Firstly, it helps causes a child to develop respect for the parents. The home is in chaos if the parents are not respected as God commands. One of the Ten Commandments says:
'Honor your father and mother.' (Deuteronomy 5: 16)

However, we do not ever recommend using the kind of paddles shown by the other American father. We are glad, however, that he knows and observes limits on its use and that the film clearly stated them.

Secondly, the rod (a small new branch) helps children quickly resolve the problem both emotionally and in their attitudes. Correct use of the rod early on will prevent overuse later. Our film crew had difficulty finding a time when we used it. Of course, our children were on their best behavior.

They didn't want to be filmed 'getting a rod.' But in fact, we hardly ever use the rod even with eight children. Once the respect is there, children do not challenge authority as much (yes, they still do at times).

Despite the overall negative perspective in the film, making the use of the rod seem somewhat oppressive, we are happy with the results. With about 25 hours of filming, they could have shown almost anything they wanted! We think it would have been much more helpful to focus on a smaller target group of people that are trying to understand how to raise their children God's ways rather than try to entertain people with shock value.

We are very happy with the trailing of the two families, one from the UK and one from the USA, both with their little ones and with their grown children. The stories blend and beautifully reinforce each other. We hope there are many more beautiful (but not perfect) families like these.

We have written a book on parenting, soon to be self-published called, "Principles & Practices for Biblical Parenting." (Note this is a new title). In this book we have highlighted what is needed to raise a godly family. We have shown how a Biblical family actually is one that brings God's goodness and righteousness right into the home. There are many families who, even though not Christians, want to raise their children with good values and respect. This book would also help them in many ways.

This book combines two important aspects: principles and practices. The reason for God's instructions are brought together in a reasonable way so that you can understand why something is or isn't done. You can compare with other methods and use these principles to evaluate what one ought to do in different circumstances. "Principles & Practices for Biblical Parenting" also provides what one ought to do in many different situations. Surely we have not covered everything, but sufficiently enough for you to work through other issues.

God wants you to have a great family. With proper training, we are able to have great relationships with our children when they are young and when they are grown.

In the meantime, if you want to order a manual or an e-Book on our Libraries, visit our resource page.

While you are there, take a tour around the website.

Finding God's answers for your life problems is much easier and cost effective than buying medicines, going from one counselor's office to another, or even getting a divorce. God speaks to anxieties, marriage, family and all sorts of life situations. All at no cost to you. God's love is revealed in His Word. Get close to His Word and you will know what I mean.

Rev. Paul J. Bucknell, President & Instructor
Biblical Foundations for Freedom

info@foundationsforfreedom.net

Scriptures typically quoted from the New American Standard Bible unless noted: (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1988

Looking for Revival?