As every biblical counselor knows, the heart is the wellspring of life. That is a point author Tedd Tripp makes early and often in his book Shepherding a Child’s Heart.
In seeking to provide parents with a guide to childrearing based on biblical principles, Tripp makes it clear that true heart change—not just behavior modification—must be the goal of every parent. When the heart is engaged, the child comes to understand God’s standard, how far he or she falls from that standard and, ultimately, his or her need for Christ.
“When we miss the heart,” Tripp writes, “we miss the glory of God.” He then proceeds, through 19 chapters, to explain to his readers the biblical foundation and tools necessary to shepherd a child’s heart. Each chapter concludes with questions designed to help the reader apply what he or she has learned.
The book is divided into two parts. The first section identifies the goal of parenting and the methods described in God’s Word to accomplish this important task. The second half offers helpful guidance in applying those methods to three specific stages of development: infancy, childhood, and the teenage years.
The process starts, though, with parents understanding the nature
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