When we have been captured by the message of our supernatural identity in Christ, it will have a dramatic effect on our parenting. What we bring to the parenting equation in our natural man is a volatile mixture of sin (a self focus), nurture (possible negative influences in how we were raised), and nature (our personalities, natural bent, etc). These influences generally steer us toward extremes of legalism or license in our parenting. Extremes of discipline or permissiveness. When the gospel of Jesus Christ comes into our lives, rather than adding something good to our volatile combination, Christ redeems the mixture and creates something brand new.
What this something new looks like in your family is called grace. It is grace based living. It is grace based parenting. Parenting with grace is not another to-do list. It is a mindset. A renewed mindset. It is a thought process where we approach parenting with a godly, thought-through plan. By thinking ahead as a couple, we are prepared for challenges and respond with grace rather than our knee-jerk natural reaction. Parenting with grace is unnatural (it’s supernatural, really) so it must be deliberate. It is out of step with our culture so we must be prepared to go against the flow. It is following Christ as a couple and having the natural consequences of that discipleship spill over into our parenting. It is bringing our children along in the adventure of faith.