This is the third part in the Shalom in the Home blog series. So what do children raised in the Gospel look like? Spiritually speaking, we are the Father’s children, adopted by Him through the blood of His Firstborn, Jesus. As such, we should look at our children in the same way: deserving of our endless love, mercy and grace. At the same time, whenever we sin against God, He brings His discipline upon us. In the same way, we should discipline our children when they sin against us. Let’s look at some Scriptures regarding parenting and child-raising.
The first Scripture section I’d like to take a look at is in Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
What this tells us is that children are to be taught the ways of the Lord, from the outset. Right along with reading, writing, and arithmetic, they should learn holiness. To neglect their spiritual upbringing is to neglect their soul, and indeed, to neglect this section of Scripture. Notice that we are to teach them not in a prude way or lackadaisically. We are to teach them diligently. This means faithfully, with hard work. This fits right along with the New Testament teaching that leaders are supposed to “fight the good fight” and are to be “like an ox”. As Christian parents, we must pastor our families with the same intensity that we are to love Jesus as individuals.
Secondly, let’s look at an oft-quoted section of the Psalms, regarding children:
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
Here we see that the origin and source of children comes from Jesus alone. To have kids is to be blessed; to be rewarded with the “fruit of the womb”. What’s interesting in the next section of Scripture is that children are compared with weaponry. Arrows in the hand of a warrior show that the warrior is armed, and is to be respected. Likewise, children in the hands of a God-fearing man is to be respected, as he is armed to change the world…one little person at a time. To have one’s family full of children is to be blessed with “weaponry” for the Kingdom.
Lastly for our purposes, I want to talk about the parent-children relationship as it is mentioned in Scripture. Check out Ephesians 6:1-4:
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.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
This section directly follows the section concerning wives and husbands that we looked at last time in Ephesians 5. Just as before, Paul relates the familial relationship with the Gospel of God. Children obeying their parents is right. We should be raising children to obey their parents, not simply out of respect for them as wise elders, but rather out of respect for the Law of God. It shows the world Christ when children listen to their parents. This is a marvelous revelation! The next phrase has echoes of Jeremiah 29: that when children honor their parents, they will be well and will live long. This too is amazing. It brings to mind the command to the exiles in Jeremiah that they should take wives, build houses, and desire for the prosperity of their city. In doing this, they will be prosperous. In the same way, if children are a part of a Gospel-centered family, they are bringing prosperity to their city, and in turn, they will be made prosperous by the Lord!
Lastly, as always, I want to put a special emphasis on the fathers here…because Paul does. Note that in between verses 4 and 5 there is no admonition to the mothers. There is simply a command to the men to not provoke their children, instead pastoring them in the Gospel and Kingdom of Jesus. Men: it is vitally important that you are not simply masculine figures for your sons and daughters. You must be masculine pastors for your sons and daughters, providing them with discipline, instruction, and example in the faith. That is the command of Scripture.
Where do you measure up, and where do you fall short? Think about it.
