7 Tools Book Club: Establishing Identity

Would you agree that it is easier to read a book than it is to read a book for a book club and then post about it?  I mean, not only do you have to take the time to read, but if you are a blogger in a book club you have synthesize, analyze and then write about it.

Would you also agree that the later is so much more edifying and profitable?

Which brings me to chapter 2:  Establishing Identity.  Have you thought about establishing your child's identity?  I have, but not from the same perspective as Zan wrote about in this book.  In this chapter she talks about if from the perspective of establishing your family identity which in turn provides a positive identity for your child.


We live in a society that is...

"full of adults and teenagers who are random- who lack a purpose for their lives and are therefore forced to run a haphazard race rather then the race that God has set before them." 

The reason for our randomnesss, Zan says...

"stems from the fact that in large measure we have divorced ourselves from God, forgetting to worship and obey Him." 

As a result of being...

" Detached from its scriptural place of prominence and responsibility, the family has become weak and powerless, and parents have succumbed to thoughts that they are incapable of doing anything of importance in the lives of their children.  Nothing could be further from the truth."

 Those lines alone could cause one to shutter.

What can families do?  Ensure children know Whose they are.  We. Are. NOT. Random.  

 "A child needs to know who he is in a larger context than himself.  God accomplishes this by placing children into families."  (Psalm 68:6 I encourage you to look it up.)

What can families do?  That depends on your family.  Zan asked some pensive questions that got me think about our family's identity.  And, she gave the key point for me: 

"You should have some activities that are enjoyed together and not just individually...The more time you can spend together in today's fragmented, random world, the better off your children will be."

Wonderfully, Zan posed questions that made me think of what is important in our family and what type of legacy our kids will have based on that.

What were some of her questions?

1.  Do you have a spiritual legacy in your family?
2.  How are you currently education your children and why?
3.  Do you eat meals together?
4.  Do you enjoy each other's company?
5. Do you vacation together?
6. Do you play ball or musical instruments together?

At the very end of the chapter I love what Zan wrote:

"The work of establishing an identity for your child begins as you teach him that he is God's.  It continues when, as a family, you actively engage in seeking God, in serving others, in enjoying  one another's company, and in learning, growing, and working together.  These are meaningful pursuits that breathe a positive perspective into your child about who he is and what he can become.  As you lay down your life for him on a daily basis, you are telling him that he is worth giving your life for."

Zan's goal in writing this book was to give us direction and encouragement.  This chapter encouraged me to intentionally establish our family identity.

Do you have this book?  If not, I dare you to get it.

Are you in the 7 Tools Book Club?  If not, I double-dog dare you.