Reflections on Biblical Child Rearing

     Last night i had the opportunity to share with a young Christian mother some thoughts on God's purpose in godly parents rearing their children. I believe the ultimate purpose is to do everything we can do to prepare the child to have their own fulfilling, healthy relationship with the living God. To that end, the healthier that our relationship is, the better theirs will be. We need to seek God, deepen our relationship with Him, particularly through the Word of God and prayer, forgive those who may or did hurt or abuse us, and learn our true identity in Christ. Both in my own life and in that of many others with whom i have interacted or counseled over many years, I see that the roots of many current problems in our lives lie buried in the past, usually in childhood. Only God can do the spiritual open heart surgery that we need.
     If we dig into the Bible, and particularly the book of Proverbs, we find that the primary instruction given to and for children is to honor their parents. ( 8 times in the Bible). They are also told to obey a number of times. Why? The greatest commandment that we are given is to love the Lord our God. ( Luke 10:27 et. al) The most important thing that we must communicate to our children in every possible way is the love of God for them. In the early years we are, in a way, the representation of God to them. The father particularly has a crucial role because he represents God the Father. Many people have major problems in their relationship with God because of problems with their earthly fathers.
     God's love is different than human love and our response is to be different. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." ( 1 John 5:3 ESV) Jesus tell us, "If you love me, keep my commandments." ( John 14:15 cf. verses 21,23, 15:10 ESV) This is why we must teach our children to obey us. If we do this will greatly facilitate their ability to obey God later. The two themes of love and obedience must be at the forefront of our parenting.
   I understand the wisdom of the world opposes this. If we serve Jesus, the king of the kingdom of God, we do not receive the "instruction" or threats of the satanic kingdom.