Parenting

We wanted to take the final daily devotional of this series to honor Jesus Christ for his impact on children. No one in the history of the world has done more good for children than Jesus Christ. Tragically, the plight of children in the ancient world was horrendous. Both child sacrifice and child abandonment were … Read more

Sometimes, parents can think that their immature young children will become mature when they are older. However, when considering maturity, we have to also consider the age of the child. Our hope, prayer, and goal should be to help our child be mature for their age, no matter the age. At 2, we help them … Read more

Your child needs you to lead them. They are born into a fallen world with a sin nature, know nothing, have to learn everything, and would have a painful life filled with tragedy if left to themselves.

The Bible emphatically commands both parents and children. We read in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:12 that children must “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” It is good in God’s sight for parents to lovingly instruct, direct, and correct their child. The motive for parents must be the glory of God and the good of the child. This is what God means in saying that the goal of parenting is to raise children to live a long and good life.

In the New Testament, Ephesians 6:1-3 echoes the Ten Commandments, saying, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’” Therefore, as parents we must always seek to lead our children with the long view of the future in mind. In a moment, we can with frustration look down at our child and be short-term in our thinking. In the next moment, we must look up at the child’s future and see the fork in the road. On one path, rebellion and folly lead to death and destruction. On the other path, obedience and wisdom lead to a long life. As we constantly look into the future, we must help the child to do the same, walking with them into that future God intends for them.

The child must also submit to their parent and obey both their mother and father. Practically, this means that mom and dad need to be fully unified in the leading of the child. Furthermore, the child is expected by God to follow the parent into a future that is good.

Did you know that Jesus Christ, as a child, did just this? Even though he was perfect and had imperfect parents, he obeyed them. We read in Luke 2:51, “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” God obeyed his parents. Your child needs to obey you if they are to grow to become more and more like Jesus.
 
How good are you at leading your child? How good is your child at obeying and following your leadership? How can things be improved?

God became a child. At every age, children can relate to Jesus, because Jesus was their same age at some point. Jesus was a baby who had to learn to walk and talk. Jesus was a young child who had to learn to read and write. Jesus went through puberty where his voice started to deepen and he started to grow a beard. Jesus had to take out the garbage, do the dishes, obey his parents, and get along with his siblings.

What is also curious is that Jesus needed parents. Yes, Jesus is perfect and was the perfect child while on the earth. However, even a perfect child apparently needs a mom and dad. His mother Mary and father Joseph were hardworking, godly, rural, teenage peasants. If Jesus needed parents, your children do too–even more so. And, if Mary and Joseph could raise Jesus with limited resources, God will help you to do the same.

We know very little of Jesus’ early life as a child. The Scriptures are nearly altogether silent, although there are a few short passages that reference his childhood. We read in Luke 2:39-40, “And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” Luke 2:51–52 adds, “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”

How did Jesus grow in every way? By the power of the Holy Spirit. This is what is described as being filled and living in God’s favor. This is a theme throughout Luke’s Gospel: “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14) and said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” (Luke 4:18). The power of the Holy Spirit is the key to raising a child. Ideally, a child would be filled with the Holy Spirit from a young age and grow in the grace of God as they age. This was the pattern with Jesus. As parents and caregivers, helping our child understand the ministry of and relationship with the Holy Spirit can help them live by the same power and grow in the same sort of character as Jesus Christ. 

How is your personal relationship with the Holy Spirit? How is your child’s personal relationship with the Holy Spirit?

Some years ago, Grace and I were trying to help a struggling single mother. As a little girl, she was raised by a naïve mother who trusted people too quickly, which put her daughter in situations to be tragically abused by older men. As this woman became a teenager, she continued the pattern of her … Read more