Welcome to the Awesome Marriage Podcast, a place for honest conversations about marriage and how to have the relationship that God has designed for you.

I am your co-host, Christina Dodson. On the show will be our host, Dr. Kim Kimberling and Nill Smith.

To engage with the Awesome Marriage podcast, use the hashtag Awesome Marriage.

In continuation of our mini series on three tips to thriving as a stepparent,

today is tip number two, practice sacrificial love.

So Dr. Kim, what even is sacrificial love?

Well, I think most of his Christians think about Jesus and how much he loved for us and

how much he took it to the extent of dying for us.

I think it's loving someone.

I think for me, if we're talking about stepchildren, loving them the way they are.

Certainly, you know, Jesus loved me right where I am today, far from perfect.

He loved me when I was really, really in a mess.

He loved me when I was really, really in a mess. He loved me. And I think that's a big

step is just loving them who they are. They don't have to change. This kid doesn't have to change

for you to love them or like them or whatever. And I think a lot of that goes into, God, help me

to see this kid through your eyes because God created that person he has a plan for their life and you don't want to

get in the way of that and I think sometimes step parents actually do get in the way of that

because they don't really accept that child or I'm going to change them you're not going to

you're not going to help someone change until they know that you love and accept them so so

forgiving them being let them be who they are and loving them and coming

alongside them. I think that's sacrificial love in that, not coming in and trying to be, you know,

Superman or superwoman with this kid and or super step parents of all that kind of situation.

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