Raising children God’s way is unlike any other way …
There are numerous parenting strategies, philosophies, styles, techniques and methodologies. But the question for Christian parents shouldn’t be, should I use the RIE method, the three C’s technique or the authoritative parenting style? Secular ideas and beliefs won’t produce godly offspring (cf. Colossians 2:8). To raise God-loving children, we must raise them in God’s way.
So, how do we do this? Here are some insights about raising children God’s way:
You’re not in charge.
Resist the inclination to take the lead. It’s not about what you want for yourself and your children but what God wants. He’s in charge. He wants you to parent your children in line with His plans and purposes. You’re a parent to trumpet God’s majesty, not to toot your own horn.
God wants you to parent your children in line with His plans and purposes. Share on XGod expects you to raise children His way, not yours. If you want to impact your children’s lives, get rightly related to Jesus. Christian parenting is humbly submitting to God’s expectations, acting according to His will, and fulfilling His goals for your child’s physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual development.
To learn more, read Parenting God’s Way.
You represent God.
God appointed you to serve Him. You’re His ambassador in the home. You’re positioned as a parent to demonstrate to your children how God is all-mighty, all-powerful, all-sufficient, all-knowing, unchanging, always everywhere, infinitely faithful, right and perfect, compassionate and kind, forgiving and full of grace.
As you parent your children, what you say and do should reflect the character of God. Share on XThis means that as you parent your children, what you say and do should reflect the character of God. With the empowerment from the Holy Spirit, aim to be the visible representative of the invisible God. Work out what God’s worked in. Be for your children, the touch of Jesus’ hand, the melody of His voice, the smile on His face, and the warmth of His embrace.
To help you do this, read Scriptures to Encourage Your Children.
You are powerless.
You may not think you do, but you desperately need God’s help. Recognize your inadequacies and deficiencies. If you’re going to be everything God’s designed you to be as a parent and do what He’s purposed, you must acknowledge and accept as true that you have no power to make your child believe in Jesus or live for Him.
Jesus does His best work through you when you admit you’re powerless yet still answer His call. Share on XKnowing what you can and can’t do is indispensable to good parenting. After all, there’s not a single parent who can be who their family needs them to be. So, trust God to control the big and little things. And remind yourself that Jesus does His best work through you when you admit you’re powerless yet still answer His call. To explore this further, read What Does God Say About the Family? and What Does the Bible Say About Fathers?
You must take the long view.
Few things are more important in parenting than taking the long view when considering your child-rearing. Parenting is a process, not a series of events. Your child’s identity in Christ isn’t formed overnight. It unfolds over the course of weeks, months and years.
Raising children God’s way is a lifelong task that continues every day. Share on XRaising children God’s way is a lifelong task. It’s laying down your life day in and day out for your family (cf. John 15:13). But thanks be to God, we don’t travel alone. Jesus, when welcomed, journeys with us. So, don’t sweat the small stuff; keep breathing and stay the course.
God’s way is the way of grace.
Your hands are tied when your parenting relies on your wisdom, character, or experience. But when your parenting depends on God’s grace, He is with you. The door to grace is confession and humble reliance on God. Don’t strive to parent in your natural strength. Don’t assume you have authority that you don’t have; it produces all kinds of parenting difficulties.
To be a conduit of grace, you must receive grace. Share on XTap into God’s presence, power and provision. Your capacity will only exceed your shortcomings when Jesus, the One who is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), directs your steps. Parenting was never meant to be a solitary affair. To be a conduit of grace, you must receive grace.
God uses your children to transform you.
Parenting isn’t all one-way traffic; it’s a two-way street. God hasn’t directed you only to bring up your children His way; He uses your children to direct His way in you. Good parenting includes what God is doing through us in our children and what He’s doing through our children in us.
Open your ears to hear God’s voice through your children. Share on XSo, when you’re parenting, open your ears to hear God’s voice through your children. Because God uses your children to refresh, redeem, realign, or restore you.
Do you have some thoughts about raising children God’s way? Please share in the comments.
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Summary
Christian parenting is about submitting to God’s will and raising children in line with His plans. Parents are called to reflect God’s character, rely on His grace, and recognize their limitations. It’s a lifelong journey that requires a long-term view, humility, and dependence on God’s strength. Parenting isn’t just about guiding children but also about being transformed through them. Embrace God-centered parenting and trust His grace to help you fulfill your role as His ambassador. Learn how to raise children in God’s way with Christian parenting tips for families.
FAQ 1. What does it mean to raise children God’s way?
Raising children God’s way means parenting according to Scripture rather than relying on secular philosophies or personal preferences. It involves submitting to God’s authority, seeking His wisdom, and aligning family life with biblical truth. Christian parenting is ultimately about helping children know, love, and follow Jesus through daily faithfulness and dependence on God.
FAQ 2. Why do Christian parents need to depend on God in parenting?
Christian parents need to depend on God because they’re not ultimately in control of their children’s hearts or spiritual outcomes. While parents are called to guide, teach, and model faith, only God can bring true transformation. Recognizing human limitations leads parents to rely on God’s grace, wisdom, and power in everyday parenting.
FAQ 3. How can parents practically raise children in God’s way?
Parents can raise children in God’s way by praying for their family, reading and applying Scripture, modelling Christ-like character, and making faith a central part of daily life. It also involves taking a long-term view of spiritual growth, practicing humility, and remaining dependent on God’s grace. Over time, consistent faith-filled parenting helps shape children into followers of Christ.
© Scripture Union, 2023
5 Responses
Love love love this piece. Gives me proper perspective on Christian parenting, especially now with the added blessings of twins in our home. Thanks for sharing.
Amen. Keeping a long view is crucial for the days of little sleep and little visible fruit. May the Lord help us to play our small part in raising a generation that does not forget his ways.
Finding good resources on parenting is like discovering treasure. We are bombarded with secular views, and public schools are now rife with social confusion. A parent must be intentional in raising their children in a godly manner. Children are sponges and they are experts at knowing what is authentic Christian behaviour in their parents. Moms and dads need to be in sync and fully engaged in purposely exposing their children to Christian fellowship, biblical teaching, and weekly church service. Parents need encouragement, inspiration and refueling – I highly recommend subscribing to this feed. Blessings!
I would like to add that there’s no formula for successful parenting, for every child is different in many ways. However, God will use different situations in this journey to reveal Himself. The heart of Christian parenting is to be faithful. We need to fulfill the call to be the parents that He intended us to be.
The insights listed in this article are very on point. These concepts should be top of mind for every Christian parent. Many times parents envision how their children should be raised, and then belatedly ask God into the driver’s seat, when He should have been there from the very start. Preparing fertile ground in your child’s heart will allow the Holy Spirit to lead and reveal more of Himself.