When you become a parent, you take on a role unlike any other. Even if you have been a babysitter, big sister, or fabulous fun Auntie -itโs not the same as being a parent. If youโre wondering, what does the bible say about parenting? Youโve come to the right place.
Before you had kids (or thought about having kids) you probably didnโt spend a whole lot of time looking at the bible through that lens. Or maybe you became a parent before you became a Christian and youโre wondering how your new faith should impact your role as a parent. Either way, I hope by exploring this together here, you can get a better handle on what the Bible has to say about the role of parents!
The Role of A Parent
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Depending on where (or when) you live, the answer changes. The role of a parent is often defined by a cultureโs view of what a child is, needs, and is capable of. Cultures and laws around the world and across history have treated children with a variety of perspectives โ some treating children like property, animals, or like short adults.
Even in our current culture and time, there are variety of parental styles with their own nicknames โ such as the helicopter parent, the tiger mom, and free-range parent. Each of these parenting styles have the parents doing a dance around a belief system about the needs, nature, and capabilities of children. In other words, our beliefs , especially about children, inform the role of being a parent. As Christians, that means looking to the bible to help us understand our role.
Parents Role in the Bible
The biblical role of a parent is to be a good steward of the children God has put into their care. A parent has the responsibility to care for the spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being of their children. The most important biblical duty of a parent is to teach about Jesus in action and word.
Godโs Word as revealed in the bible, helps us understand who we are, who God is, and the relationship between God and humanity. Eternal and often uncomfortable truths are revealed about our nature, our souls, and our history. In knowing and teaching Godโs word to your children, you can best lead them to Christ.
As a parent, here are three big truths from the bible about parenting you need to know. At least, I wish I had known this earlier on in my parenting. Knowing these as you go forward in your parenting journey will help frame your expectations.
One: You donโt own your kids. God does.
โBehold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mineโ (Ezekial 18:4, WEB)
โThe earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORDโ (Psalm 24:1, HCSB)
This truth is such a vital one to hold on to. Itโs so easy to start to believe that you own โyour kids.โ Legally, in many countries, including many ways the U.S. law regards children, they are still treated more as property than persons. We must not let this worldly view infect ours. Your children are Godโs, you, as parents, are their stewards..
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Two: You will experience great joy and sorrow because of your children.
โA wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son brings grief to his motherโ (Proverbs 10:1, WEB).
When I became a mother I never considered how deeply my heart would become intertwined with my children. Just the sight of one of my kids starting to tear up will immediately well up tears in myself. Watching my littlest one giggle, brings instant delight to my heart, too.
Three: Itโs good to let go as your children grow.
โTherefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one fleshโ (Genesis 2:24, WEB).
How soon should you let go and how much? Itโs hard to say and truly does depend on your family and even which particular child within your family. One thingโs for sure, your job description as a parent changes about as often as you โfigure it out.โ
Itโs hard to let go sometimes, but remembering that these kids donโt belong to you and never did, may help. Also the natural development and (sometimes annoying) behaviors of kids as they become independent can also help you let go.
Bible Verses About Parenting Responsibilities
We are stewards, but just because we donโt own our children, doesnโt mean we donโt have responsibility for their well-being. If you have a duty to care for something you donโt own, then you are a manager or steward.
If your primary responsibility as a parent is to be a good steward of your children, then you need to treat the position with the reverence it is due. God has high standards for stewards and He will hold you accountable.
Your primary responsibility as a parent is to a be good steward of the children God has put into your care. #Christian #Stewardship #Parenting Click To TweetWhat does it mean to be a good steward as a parent? Here are 3 main areas of responsibility for parents and the Bible verses to remember along with them.
Parentโs Spiritual Responsibility
As a parent, you have the responsibility to tend to your childrenโs spiritual growth and education. We are a childโs first witnesses to the gospel. Sharing Jesus is our most important duty.
โNurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lordโ (Ephesians 6:4, WEB).
โTrain up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from itโ (Proverbs 22:6, WEB).
Parentโs Duty To Tend To Emotional Health
You have a responsibility to care for your childrenโs emotional well-being. Their emotions matter. Added benefit, kids who feel good, act good. Treating your children with gentleness helps them stay responsive to instruction and correction.
โFathers, donโt provoke your children, so that they wonโt be discouragedโ (Colossians 3:21, WEB).
โYou fathers, donโt provoke your children to wrathโ (Ephesians 6:4).
โBrothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also arenโt temptedโ (Galatians 6:1).
Parentโs Duty to Meet Physical Needs.
You are responsible to provide for your childrenโs physical needs. This means providing food, water, shelter, clothing and more.
โBut if anyone doesnโt provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbelieverโ
(I Timothy 5:8).
โA good man leaves an inheritance to his childrenโs childrenโ
(Proverbs 13:22).
These are just a few of the great number of bible verses that speak to the responsibilities of proper stewardship, an essential to biblical parenting.
Examples of Good Parents in the Bible
There are many great parenting moments in the bible, and definitely some bad ones too. Iโve chosen three examples of roles that stand out to me, as good examples for the rest of us parents. The last of these, of course, being the best.
Mothers In The Bible
There are a great many wonderful role models for mothers in the bible. Mary, the mother of Jesus was humble before God and willing to surrender her Son for Godโs purposes. Sarah, the mother of Isaac, was also called bu God the โmother of nations.โ Her faith is credited to her in Hebrews 11:11-12.
โBy faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the One who had promised was faithful. Therefore from one manโin fact, from one as good as deadโcame offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as innumerable as the grains of sand by the seashore.โ
Hannahโs story can be found in I Samuel 1. Hannah was sorrowfully barren and prayed for a child which she promised to surrender to God. When God gave her a son, she raised him until he was weaned, then brought him to the temple to serve. She prayed for her son, cared for him, and surrendered him to God.
The Good Father in The Bible
In the parable most known as โThe parable of the prodigal son,โ(Luke 15:11-32) Jesus tells about a father who gives lavishly to both of his sons. One goes off to live foolishly and the other stays home resentfully. Itโs not his lavishly giving money and things that makes him a good father, but that he gives of himself so lavishly. He is low on judgement and big on mercy.
If you want to examine the duties of a father in the bible, this example of a good father canโt be missed. This father lived in such a way that the wayward son knew, even if only received as a servant, he would still live better under his fatherโs care.
His father puts aside his own pride to run to his messy son with open arms and welcome him back to the family. As for the older son, this father seeks him out, too, when he refuses to celebrate his brotherโs return.
Jesus
No Iโm not saying Jesus had physical children, like we do. But Jesus was called the โEverlasting Fatherโ in Isaiah 9:6. While on Earth, Jesus was fatherly towards his disciples. He even called them โlittle childrenโ in Matthew 11:25 and told them he would not leave them โas orphansโ in John 14:18.
If you are looking for a good earthly example on how to be godly parent โ providing, protecting, guiding, correcting, teaching, preparing, modeling, encouraging, and loving โ it doesnโt get better than Jesus with his disciples. Iโve written 3 Bible Study guides called Parenting In Christ, if youโd like to dig deeper.
Some Final Thoughts on Your Biblical Role As A Parent
Thereโs a great deal more in the Bible than Iโve gone into here about the role of a parent. Keep in mind that just because a particular scripture is not directly addressing parents, that doesnโt mean it doesnโt apply to parenting.
Everything that applies to the role (being stewards, leaders, and teachers) as well as every verse that talks about the โotherโ (love one another, etc) applies to parents. In all we do as Christians, we are to follow in the pattern of Jesus. I didnโt say it specifically above, maybe because it doesnโt feel like a responsibility, but we do have a duty to love our children.
Itโs good to wary of โChristianโ advice which doesnโt sit well with you. It can be tainted by worldly influences and worries. Ask the Holy Spirit, pray, and research scripture for yourself before trying any parenting advice.
God doesnโt want us to focus on a set of rigid rules, styles, or procedures. He is our Father who wants a relationship with us, so that we keep seeking and asking Him. It is in continual dependence on Him that we can live into our biblical role as parents.
If youโd like to read more on this subject, check out:
Teaching Your Kids Biblical Integrity
How to Love Your Kids Like Jesus
If you really want to dig deeper on what to teach your kids, check out my Bible study discussion guide, Parenting in Christ: Training in the Disciplines of Jesus.
Excellent post on the Biblical role of Christian parents. I think the hardest point to wrap our heads around is that we don’t own our children, they belong to God. It’s hard to let go of that control.
Thanks Heather!
It is hard to let go of control… I think we have to be intentional about surrendering control on a continual basis, because our natural tendencies are to grab control… at least it really is for me. But really all sense of control is an illusion. Things beyond our control happen all the time and truly only God is in control, right!?
Superb post, Christina! Lots of wisdom on parenting here! This is a truly great resource for parents of all ages!
Thank you so much Melinda! I really hope it encourages and challenges parents to draw closer to Jesus!
This is beautiful! We have such a great responsibility to steward, love, guide, protect and train up our children and then let them go and pray pray pray lol. The stewardship of parenting never goes away even when the kids move away. It has been such a labor of love for my hubby and I.
Thanks Donna!
Yes! Prayer along the whole way! Continual surrender and dependence on God is our best bet! ๐
And definitely – so much a labor of love!!
Powerful reminders, Christina. You are great at parenting tips and parenting help from the Christian perspective…that should shape how we see everything in life. I’m familiar with authoritarian and permissive parenting styles, but the others were new to me and interesting. I like how your article developed a new style–The Biblical Parenting Style. ๐ That’s the one I want to study and work on the most!
Thanks for the encouragement Karen. As I learned about different Christian parenting styles and ideologies, I felt like they checked Jesus at the door. So many have claimed that Scripture covers it all in a few tiny verses. I wondered why God seemed to care so little about parenting. I prayed and prayed and searched Scripture for a while before I feel like Jesus revealed to me that all that he taught and lived does in fact apply to parenting… and the “don’t provoke your children” is “and in a addition, parents…”
When I abandoned the mainstream and focused on Jesus, I saw a huge change in our family & in my kids.
Jesus is THE way – the very best way.
Christina, I appreciate this post! One thing Iโve learned is that our two very different boys need very different parenting from my husband and me. But the one thing we do for both of them is pray hard for wisdom and talk with them often. I liked your descriptions of different parenting styles and especially how imperative it is that we invite God into each facet. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Thanks Jeanne! Such a good point that kids often need different things from each parent too! Thank you for sharing your experience and for the encouragement!
Great! To God be the glory for your life! I am a parent of 2 and expecting the 3rd. Thanks, Christina Dronen!
Congratulations on your new little one on the way and thank you for the encouragement. ๐