Biblical Parenting – Part 2
As we learned last week, parents are God’s ambassadors for rearing their children who are instructed to obey their parents in the Lord. Paul David Tripp says, “Children come into the world as self-sovereigns.” Since the Fall, all humans have been born with a basic internal sin nature which seeks to go its own way. Yes, your baby is precious, but as life gets underway, he or she needs to be taught your parental authority. Help your child understand that God’s design for a family consists of a mother and father whose role is to bring children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
As I speak with parents of littles, one of the most difficult areas of childhood training is consistency with instruction and discipline. And yet, it is vitally important. Being consistent with your expectations, not succumbing to personal moods and ‘feelings’ is paramount to effective parenting. I was recently speaking with my daughter. Upon asking about the grands, she said that they had not been well- behaved that day. While listening to her disappointment, I encouraged her to see these moments of disciplining as opportunities for shepherding their hearts and instructing in obedience. It is the perfect moment to teach repentance and forgiveness. I could tell she was tired. The verse in Galatians came to mind: “Do not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.” Parenting is arduous work and being consistent with how we love, set boundaries, care for our children, and order our home is paramount.
It is not a 9-5 gig, is it? Whenever your children are awake, you are ‘on duty.’ Deuteronomy 6:7 reminds us to talk about loving God, keeping His commands and statutes when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. This must be an overflow of your heart.
Reading God’s Word daily and memorizing Scripture with your littles is an excellent routine for setting your mind on whatsoever is true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely. In Deuteronomy 6: 9 we are told to write these things on doorposts of our house and on our gates. In other words, place Scripture around your home, either beautifully framed or on a notecard, to remind yourself of the faithfulness, goodness, kindness, and love of our Almighty God. What are the verses that speak to your heart now in your parenting journey? Jot those verses down and read them often as a reminder of your heavenly Father’s love. Reading God’s Word and praying are essential priorities. I wish I could say I always felt like it and made it a priority, but I did not. Some days it was one verse with a devotional and a short prayer. In this season of my life, I have the margin to feast upon the Word!
In moments of weariness, may I remind you to take the long-view approach. It is a marathon, not a
sprint. Forgive yourself for not being the perfect parent. Only our Father in heaven/His Son is perfect and even He had disobedient children. Keep your perspective on the eternal, and the fact that your child is a sinner who needs you and, a Savior. Look upon moments of disobedience in your child as opportunities to show him or her the need for a Savior. Your child needs to hear about God’s love and forgiveness--the good news of the Gospel – the gift of abundant and eternal life through repentance and faith in Jesus. More than anything, your child needs to see you live your faith in God and where better than in the home? And where hardest, right? Next week in part 3, we will consider four blessings that are ours in Christ in the context of parenting.
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