Short Posts

One of the cardinal rules of blogging is that you are not supposed to say you are going to do something and then not do it. Well, I have broken that rule. I intended to do chapter by chapter comments on this book and it just didn’t happen. I have actually had other things I wanted to post here and have not because of this portended review. So, I am just going to give some brief thoughts on the book as a whole and move on.

I have read and continue to read books about parenting. I will tell you up front that I don’t know it all and I need lots of help. There are many books in the parenting category clamoring for attention. They seem to fall into a few general categories and vary greatly in their usefulness.

• Eminently Practical—Some books take a bare bones, practical approach where parenting is presented as simple 1, 2, 3’s. It seems so easy and formulaic that we should be able to program a computer to parent a child. While I have at times gleaned a good tip here and there, I have to give these kind of books the thumbs down in general.
• Ethereal—Some books are very lofty. They deal with the grand scale. When done well, they have a definite place. We must have a large vision and a greater picture that goes beyond 5:00 supper. Sometimes these books can be overwhelming and even frustrating. While they paint a beautiful picture of where we would like to be, they don’t necessarily help us to get there. This is okay as long as we know what to expect and realize that books are sometimes confused about what category they belong to.
• Biblical—Books drawing wisdom and principles from Scripture in the rearing of children is definitely what we want. But not all books of this vein are created equal. Some even venture into the realm of downright heretical. So be warned. The Bible is the only book that is infallible and it is the standard by which all books, lectures, workshops, videos, advice, instruction, etc. should be judged. That holds true across the board and not just for books that claim to be biblical.

  Writers and readers alike must be able to discern between good advice, common sense, and biblical command. Confusing these can be a dangerous error. Christ soundly denounced the Pharisees who taught the traditions of men for the commandments of God. Those traditions may have been fine in themselves but they were not the order of Almighty God and teaching them so is heresy. I have seen not a few books, conferences, etc. that cross this line. Things such as homeschool curriculum and methods, feeding schedules for infants, and much more are presented as direct biblical commands. Consequently, those falling short in these are sinning against God. We must mark these dangerous heresies and stay away from them.

  We do need to be attentive to those with more experience and hopefully more wisdom. But at the same time we must continue to discern between good advice and the commands of God.

Now, where does Shepherding come in? Honestly, this book is an excellent balance of all these categories. Tedd Tripp draws on many years of experience to give both good advice and biblical wisdom. And, he doesn’t seem confused about which is which.

Tripp maintains a perspective larger than the problem of the minute while also offering practical wisdom for those problems. The thrust of this book is on training, discipling children. Tripp aims at the heart of the child, which is what parents must be after biblically. He uses examples from his own experience to illustrate principles throughout, making this book very practical and accessible.

This book is not simplistic, but it is easily readable. I highly recommend it. I am tempted to say, If you only read one book on parenting, choose Shepherding. But, I could never suggest that you only read one book.