The Daily CHEW™
CHEW on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope
My client Sarah texted me at 9:15 PM: “Same story tonight. Emma’s supposed to be in bed by 8:30, but here I am standing in her doorway for the fourth time, voice rising: ‘I said get in bed. NOW.’ By the time she finally settles, I’m questioning everything about my parenting and feeling like I’ve failed at the one job that matters most.” The exhaustion in her message was palpable—not just physical tiredness, but the soul-weariness that comes from feeling like you’re failing the people you love most.
Maybe you recognize Sarah’s moment. Maybe it’s your own morning rush when everyone’s moving too slowly, or the homework battle that turns your kitchen table into a war zone, or those car rides where sibling arguments push you past your breaking point. Maybe you’ve felt that sinking realization that you’re parenting from your own frustration and exhaustion rather than from the patient, loving heart you want your children to experience.
Here’s what I’ve learned from years of walking with parents like Sarah: parenting from frustration isn’t primarily about difficult kids or challenging phases. It’s about trying to manage our children’s behavior when our own hearts haven’t first been anchored in God’s patient love and steady kindness. When we parent from our need for control or our fear of raising “difficult” kids, even our best disciplinary intentions become another form of self-reliant striving. But God’s love offers something fundamentally different—the ability to shepherd our children’s hearts from His overflow, not our empty tank.
Finding Your Center Before the Next Meltdown
Join me for a CHEW right now—especially for those moments when you need to discipline from love, not frustration.
CHEW in 3-5 Minutes:
- Take three deep breaths—remembering God’s love for you doesn’t depend on your children’s behavior or your parenting performance right now.
- Adore: “Father, You love me as Your child—even when I’m impatient and fail you. I need your help right now.”
- Confess: What am I actually feeling toward my child right now? Where is my frustration really coming from? What fear or need for control is driving my reaction more than love?
- Hear: What truth about God’s love do I most need as a parent today?
- “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness” – Zephaniah 3:17
- “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” – Ephesians 4:32
- “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
- Exchange: If God’s love truly fills me, I would exchange my need to control my child’s behavior for trust in God’s work in their heart. I would exchange my parenting anxiety for confidence in His love working through me, even in discipline.
- Walk: What’s one way I can parent from God’s love in the next interaction with my child? Maybe it’s speaking firmly but gently instead of in frustration. Maybe it’s taking a moment to pray for my child’s heart before addressing their behavior.
- Thanksgiving & Worship: Thank God that He parents you with perfect patience and that His love covers your parenting mistakes. Rest in His grace, knowing He’s shaping both you and your children.
Remember This
Godly discipline isn’t about having perfectly behaved children or never feeling frustrated. It’s about returning—again and again—to the love that holds you and your children whether bedtime goes smoothly or becomes a battleground, whether your discipline brings immediate change or requires ongoing patience. God delights in your dependence on His love, not your ability to manage every parenting challenge perfectly.
CHEW On This™:
If I really believed God’s love is patient kindness that never runs out, how would that change the way I approach discipline, family conflict, and those challenging parenting moments?
The CHEW system works best when practiced in community. Consider sharing these practices with your spouse or other parents. Explore what changes when you create consistent rhythms for moving God’s love from head to heart—not just in quiet moments, but in the full scope of your family relationships and parenting decisions.
Want More?
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Ready for lasting transformation?
Learn how to make CHEWing a daily rhythm. Our hope is that everyone can learn to CHEW without ever needing to pay us for help.
If you have a question about the CHEW practice or hit a roadblock you can’t solve, we’re happy to help with quick guidance.
Reach out anytime at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to help you keep growing!
CHEW on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope
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