Christian Parenting

Q: What exactly does God expect of parents? I mean we hear phrases like the "helicopter mom" or other terms tossed about to basically illustrate what not to do. But it seems like Christians aren't really getting a whole lot of advice on what we are to do. Doesn't the Bible have guidelines for us Christians as parents?

A: Most certainly the Bible has plenty to say to Christians about their role as parents. But they aren't specific guidelines or instructions in a separate section. Rather they appear throughout the Old and New Testament. The place to start though is with yourself and not your children.

God is much more interested in who we are versus what we do ... and that includes what we do as parents. Simply put, the best thing you can do for your children is to give them the most godly parents ever. Make sure that you walk the talk in every way. Go out of your way to be sure that you're surrendered and submitted to Jesus Christ. Be obedient to the Father.

Beyond yourself, the next thing you must do is to be intentional about teaching your children who God is and how they are to relate to Him. Some of the godliest people in the Bible were still guilty of neglecting their children when it came to spiritual discipleship. As a result, their children grew up to do awful things and didn't reflect the godliness of their parents. How do you do this? Read the Bible with your children, especially as they grow older. Have a family time with God at least every week - if not every day. Read the Bible, pray. Discuss God's Word. Help your children acquire a Christian worldview. Teach them to think about things with God's values instead of the world's.

One could develop a list of things to do or not do for Christian parents. But frankly those are just tactical in nature. The truly strategic things are what I've just explained here. Get these right and everything else will take its place.