Pulpit Reflections: Christian parenting tips
I am the first to admit that parenting is hard and I need constant help. I regularly need refreshed in what the Bible teaches about parenting. I want to share with you some tips I have been refreshed in as I have visited this subject recently.
1. God knows better than the world’s “experts”. I have heard parenting doesn’t come with a manual. This is true in the sense that a manual doesn’t come taped to the child.
But God has given us a manual for life and this book includes everything we need to know about godly parenting. (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:15-17)
2. Loving parents discipline their children. I admit it doesn’t feel true at times and kids and grandparents don’t like it, but the Bible is clear here: “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” Proverbs 13:24
It won’t damage a child, if it is carefully applied. (Proverbs 23:23-14. The rod is not a quick fix solution. The call is to apply it consistently over years of faithful and loving application. I heard a doctor talk about how “the bottom was perfectly suited for the rod. It is a soft padded area with no organs under the skin.” (Never discipline your children in anger).
3. Don’t let your home be a child-run home. I admit it is more peaceful to let the four-year-old make all the decisions, but with only four years of experience, he is not best suited for the job.
God has designed the parents to be in charge of the family. Dad: step up and lead your family. If little Billy is in charge, he will not like a change in command, but it will be worth the battle in the long run.
4. Take time to instruct your children. Don’t leave this merely to the Sunday school teacher, the youth group and school teachers. It is Mom and Dad’s job to raise the children in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Teach your children they must repent of their sins and trust in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection if they are to be saved. Following Jesus involves obeying His commands and this includes disciplining your children.
We need to be reminded that love isn’t simply a feeling. It is more of an action word. These are some ways we can practically love our children and be pleasing to the Lord in our parenting.