There are many christian resources that will give you practical ways to raise your children that can have wisdom and guidance, but that is not what you are going to find here. We will strictly talk about what the Bible says about parenting and let you determine how that should play out in your family.

Ephesians 6:4 says: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

This passage shows that God has boundaries and rules that the child should learn. But what does it mean by discipline and instruction? In the most basic way, teach your children to obey what you asked them to do. Set the children’s boundaries and keep them. If we keep reading in Ephesians 6 we gain even more clarity, even though the writer is talking about a master and bondservant, these principles can be applied to the parent and child also.

5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. – Ephesians 6:5-9. 

Passage Principles

• Obey with fear and trembling (Not in a way of true and pure fear but in a reverent power and authority that the parents have over the children. The child should know the parent is the one in charge, there should be no question about that.)
• Teach them to do all with a sincere heart, not for eye-service. Not being a people-pleaser but for pleasing God.
• Lead the children in a way that you do not need to threaten them. God never threatens us, but how God convicts and loves us into good deeds, so should we do. (Practically this can look like, NOT counting to three. Give the request, if the child does not obey immediately then there is a consequence. Asking them several times will show them they can choose when to obey.)

These principles are essential to implement but so hard sometimes, it is easy to get frustrated and discouraged and take an easier way out that gets immediate results. But that may teach the children bad habits or that rules don’t need to be followed if they don’t like them.

Take time today to evaluate your parenting style, or your potential parenting style if you don’t have childs yet, and ask God To give you wisdom and wise people in your life to advise you. 

The great thing about parenting is it is never too late. Even if your children are older, your parenting style can change.

Pray

Father, we praise you and honor you for who you are and how your plan is so much better than our plan is. Thank you for showing us where we need to be more intentional in our walks with you so that we know better how to lead others in the proper way. Help us to know how to raise children in your name and help our children to want to follow you with all of who they are. Amen.