Parents are overwhelmed with the expectations of their own and all those around them. But above what anyone else demands of you as a parent, have you ever considered what God expects?
The Bible commands parents to evangelize and disciple their children. The scriptural mandate, indicated throughout the entire Bible, for a child’s spiritual development is unashamedly centered around the home. The New Testament church saw fathers’ leading the home spiritually as so important that if a father did not fulfill his parental responsibility, he was unfit for church leadership positions (1 Tim 3:4-5).
For some parents, the problem is not they do not know how to invest in their children spiritually; they simply do not see that act as a priority. Most American parents view children’s spiritual development as a positive element in child rearing, but they do not see it as the most important element. Parents have often developed misplaced priorities when it comes to their children. Many children in America are so busy with numerous activities that their spiritual lives are neglected.
While it is a lofty goal for a child to receive a great education or to have a financially secure life, that ambition is not God’s most important goal for parents. If God views children as a gift to parents (Ps 127:3), then parents need to conform their parenting perspective to God’s perspective. Voddie Baucham stated, “There are many worthwhile pursuits in this world, but few of them rise to the level of training our children to follow the Lord and keep his commandments.”
God left no room for misunderstanding in the area of parental responsibility. Parents are required to teach their children to love God (Deut 6:4-9), and they are expected to teach them that truth in every arena in life (Deut 11:18-21). A parent ought to teach children to love God more than they love their own parents (Matt 10:37). Solomon exhorted that a well-instructed child would not likely depart from the teaching of his or her parents (Prov 22:6). Through these examples and more, the Bible is clear in revealing that God’s desire is for parents who own the responsibility to raise their children spiritually.
MORE PARENTING RESOURCES
Our Children’s Biggest Problem
Children in today’s culture have numerous forms of opposition against them. But out of all the sources of stress, sometimes it is their parents who should provide support and actually create more issues.
Defining Successful Parenting
Successful parenting must be defined by what God values most in our children’s lives. Parents must take the responsibility to be the primary evangelists and disciple-makers.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
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