When we live in the light, what we do is pleasing in to God...we do not have to hide anything...we cannot do that apart from love

Ephesians 5:1-2
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

If we make love the priority in our relationship with our kids...we can begin to do some things that unleash the power of God's love into our relationship with our children

Look at several suggestions from the book and put my own spin or perspective on them
First thing we can do is to...

Be a modeling parent
Follow God's example...(Imitate Him)
John 13:15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. NLT
Easier said than done...but if love is my top priority...I can begin to sense that there is great power in loving my children

We can't just verbalize stuff to our kids...we have to live it...model it in the flesh
Don't do as I do...do as I say...never works
So many parents say one thing...than act in a contrary manner Dad

A parents model will be the most powerful model in your child's life...There is tremendous power in modeling-good or bad
Paul says to model God

Even if we have not had a good earthly example...our heavenly example is pretty good and Paul tells the Ephesians-imitate your heavenly Father...you will see the power of God in your relationship with your children
So what should we be modeling...how can we be an example of God to our children
Lot of things we could model...let me give you three that I think are pretty important

A second thing that we should is...
Model sacrificial love
1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
The ultimate sacrifice is the definition of love
Literally 100s of verses that speak to God's love for us...here is one
Romans 5:5 ...God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Literally poured like the Gatorade bucket when a coach wins a championship

If we do not have that buried in our own hearts...as it pours into our hearts...it overflows onto our children...with power

Then when we get a grasp on that, we are able to establish a new pattern of parenting
Establish a new pattern
And that new pattern is to actually...walk in the way of love... It's not enough to break a bad pattern...in order to change the way you love, you must find a new pattern

Paul talked in Romans that the world has a pattern...scripture tells us that Jesus Christ also has a pattern

2 John 1:6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

Paul is saying "walk in the way of love"...John says it a little more forcefully...that it is a command to walk in love...but John also tells us that His commands are not burdensome

So we walk towards greater love for our children...and it is easier to do so...it is not a burden...if we quit trying harder to love our kids better...and start trusting Jesus for the strength to do so...to let His pattern dominate our life
And His pattern is this:
John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

"To love like Jesus, you need His power in your daily life." Holladays
the only way to do that is to stay plugged into the same source of power that powered Jesus

Paul says walk in the way of love...how do we do that with power?...Paul tells us...just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us...
When Jesus was moving ever-closer to the cross...when he was preparing to face His death...time and time again, he withdrew to talk to His Father...to pray and to receive
Power from His Father

Heb. 5:7 God had the power to save Jesus from death. And while Jesus was on earth, he begged God with loud crying and tears to save him. He truly worshiped God, and God listened to his prayers. CEV

Even Jesus did not try to accomplish His mission on His own power...He knew He needed power from His Father...why would we think we could handle the most important job on the planet without that same power

Great prayer "Jesus, love me through the day...and help me to love my kids as You love me."

Conclusion to put a bow on this
Be a modeling parent...modeling God's example...model unconditional love, sacrificial love and truth...in order to model successfully have as your foundation, the heart knowledge that God truly loves you...establish a new pattern of walking in the way of love as Jesus walked...and daily plug into the same power that Jesus plugged into when he gave Himself up for you...and you will see the power of God's love transform your relationship with your children...pretty much everyone in your life

Not easy...but oh so worth it...