As I was browsing the shelves of one of my favorite small bookstores a few months ago, I saw this title and quickly put it in the pile of books I wanted to buy. Now that I'm finished with my series of reviews on postmodernism and apologetic preaching, I can finally read and review books on other topics. While packing for this sabbatical, I looked through my library for books to take with me and I saw this title again: Grace Based Parenting. I knew immediately that I must read this book.
If you wrote a parenting book, what would you choose for a title? Maybe "Bold Parenting", or "Smart & Savvy Parenting" or "Tough Love Parenting"? I would probably choose something like "How to Raise Girls Who Can Play with You Like Boys But Are Still Girly Enough to Be Cute." The problem with these titles is that they don't capture God's heart in parenting. Think about how our heavenly Father relates to His children. If you could only choose one word to describe God's fatherly love and care toward you, what word would you choose?
Grace is that one word. And Tim Kimmel's Grace Based Parenting is now near the top of my top 5 parenting books. Kimmel surveys a biblical matrix for parenting and concludes that kids need a secure love, a significant purpose and a strong hope. Love, purpose and hope like this only come as a gracious gift from God the Father through His Son Jesus by the working of the Holy Spirit. Parents leading their family into godliness are God's primary means for delivering these gracious gifts to kids. And grace based parenting gives kids the freedom that they need: freedom to be different, freedom to be vulnerable, freedom to be candid and freedom to make mistakes.
This book is based on a solid theological foundation of God's boundless grace. It provides parents with a philosophy of parenting that avoids many errors. Practical examples abound. My favorite was: "Should I let my Christian child get that tatoo of their favorite Bible verse?" Most helpfully, this book inspired me to look to God my Father for more grace today and to keep on parenting my girls with abundant grace.
Grace Based Parenting, Dr. Tim Kimmel, W Publishing Group/Thomas Nelson, 2004
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