Thank you for the questioning of parenting, “How does a father bring up his children with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord (Eph.6:4)?”
As parent and grandparent, there are many things that I could or should have done with my children and there are things that we are doing better in helping others. I don’t have THE answer but here are some thoughts for those Christian parents who want to raise Godly children:
I. For the parent:
A. Knowing the Gospel of salvation and experiencing the salvation of God.
B. Know the Scriptures and being able to explain the Scriptures well.
C. Learning as much as possible about apologetics that includes archaeology and cosmology.
D. Living the Christian life being as authentic without hiding our fears and shortcomings as a Christian parent.
E. Emphasizing core Biblical values of Kingdom over worldly values.
F. Sharing our experiences with God and his presence and power in our behalf.
II. For the child.
A. Affirming the love of God for one’s child.
B. Affirming the core value of being in the image of God with intrinsic worth than worth based on performance.
C. Discovering the personality and characteristics of the child.
D. Channeling the child’s direction and energy toward wholesome activities.
E. Allowing the child to express him/herself without undue perfectionism and expectation by the parent.
F. Showing/demonstrating to the child true worship and love for God by incorporating him/her in one’s personal devotion to God, sharing what is God saying and to do as parent.
G. Gently rebuking or approving the child based on biblical principles, not one’s personal preference
H. Reminding the child that s/he is a representative of God and needs to come to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
SUMMARY: Deuteronomy 6 is very applicable as parents are to model the Christ-centered life being genuine and transparent before their child.
For additional perspectives: