Welcome back to the kitchen table with Bethany Kimsey for this week's episode of When God Breaks Through.  This week Bethany answers another fellow mama’s question sent in via Instagram and Facebook.  

Don’t forget you can send in your questions, as well. Just visit Bethany’s instagram and facebook page @bethanykimsey to send a message with your question. 

Kimberly asked, “How do you have a good friendship with your children while at the same time carry the authoritative role? How do you balance the two?”

To answer this question, we have to answer some other pertinent questions:

How do we tend to the heart that was given to me?

How am I holding my child’s heart?

Am I holding it too tight?

Or have I dropped their heart? 

Characteristics of disconnect to their heart include:

distance avoidance eye rolls

It is up to us to come before our children. 

In our homes, we have a chief opportunity to display reconciliation and the Gospel in moments like these.   We are called to be ministers of reconciliation. 

When we recognize we have a problem with a child and their hearts are not softly placed in our hands, our role as the more mature believer is to come to that child and humbly sit before them and say honestly, “I think there is a problem in our relationship. How have I wounded your heart? What has caused this riff between us?” 

They may respond with “I’m fine.”  Maybe they aren’t ready to discuss yet.  They may need space to process, but we need to be  willing to wait and ready to discuss when they are ready. As mamas we want to get to the root of the problem, into the crevices of their hearts. 

Bethany discusses in this episode the way we participate in holding our child’s heart through key conversations and communications, through prayer, and through constant humility.  This, in turn, brings friendship naturally because our children are assured their hearts are being tended too. 

Listen to be encouraged and led into a beautiful mentoring conversation in our motherhood.

Do you know another Mom who needs some encouragement? Share the podcast! 

If you don’t know where to begin with praying over your children, Bethany has a free prayer guide to walk you through being a fierce prayer warrior. Click here for the guide. 

For more information about Bethany Kimsey, https://bethanykimsey.com