We have been blessed in our church with a number of children. We have been particularly blessed in the past two years with the number of new babies. Being a parent is one of God’s greatest blessings. I will never forget holding my son for the first time 19 years ago and feeling the combination of absolute love and terror. Now, as I near the end of my children being at home full-time and look across the large number of children in our congregation, I feel it is important to address what the Bible says about being a good parent. Over the next few weeks, we will examine the instructions the Bible gives to us as parents. My goal with this series is to help you understand what God expects of you so that your children will flourish in their walk with God.
We must understand our goal in parenting. If we do not know what we are aiming at, we have very little chance of success. Further, the challenge is heightened by particular circumstances in our world today. The prevalence and ease of communication with everyone brings our children into contact with harmful elements from which we would otherwise be able to protect them. The overwhelming volume of information causes confusion in our children that would not have happened in previous generations. And the entertainment specifically designed to capture our children’s attention and cause dependence presents a challenge. All of these challenges are compounded by the fact that the parents of our children’s friends don’t seem to care about them.
What is your goal with your children? Is it that they gain knowledge so that they will have a good job when they become adults? Is it that they gain notoriety and fame with their gifts and abilities? Is it that all their dreams will come true? Is it that they will stay out of trouble and become “responsible” adults? Is it to see your children survive to adulthood with minimal trouble (It would be even better if they chose to stick close to us as adults)? Maybe you have not given the goal any thought, and you are simply trying to survive. Yet, if any of these are your goals, then you have failed as parents. I would propose a new goal to you. Biblically, if we want to raise wise children, our goal is for them to learn to fear God.