Parenting can be one of the hardest and most rewarding thing we ever do. Raising two teenage girls is not for the faint hearted, that’s for sure. I find I go back to 5 verses to get me through the rough patches. I hope they minister to you as well.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I have given you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind the on your forehead. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.” (NIV) This portion of scripture contains my favorite parenting verses. These verses are on my mind every day. I read this each year at the start of the school year at Meet the Teacher Night to the parents. Talk to your kids about the Lord. Tell them about the miracles God has done in your life. Share with them your shortcomings and how God forgives and forgets our sin. Showing our children that we serve a real God who is actively involved in our lives will wet their appetite to know Him personally.
Proverbs 22:15a “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;” (NKJV) If I had a nickel for every time Kurt has quoted this verse to me, I’d be rich. I make the mistake more times than not of asking our kids, “Why?” If I look back to when I was a kid, I never knew why. I remember saying, “I don’t know.” And that’s what I hear from my kids. This verse tells us why, because “foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child.” Kids are going to do foolish things. If you read the rest of the verse it tells us to correct them to drive the foolishness away. Don’t be harsh in your correction, don’t punish, but teach and redirect them.
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (NIV) There will be times when your kids are going to do things you never imagined they would do. Don’t lose faith. Don’t quit teaching them and praying for them. Remember the book of their life is not finished. You are only in the early chapters. Follow the command in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, lift them up to the Lord, and trust that He loves them more than you do. He is working all things for His good.
Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, [or parents] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (NIV) Just like your child knows how to push your buttons so do you know how to push theirs. This verse says, “Don’t!” Causing them to be frustrated does not honor the Lord.
Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (ESV) This verse goes hand in hand with Ephesians 6:4. Rather than being harsh with them, speak gently to them. We don’t want our children to grow up resenting us or to become bitter toward us. I don’t want them to struggle with anger as adults. I want to model for them how to speak in a gentle manner. When you are not sure what to say, it is best to say nothing, step away from the situation, and ask the Lord to direct your tongue. I haven’t always done this and I find when I do, the Lord brings peace. He steps in and diffuses the tension.
I hope these verses are an encouragement to you. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Take time to get in God’s Word to learn what He says to us about parenting. Do you have “go to” verses for parenting that you would like to share with us? Please leave them in the comments below.
