8 Encouraging Bible Verses About Marriage
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There is no shortage of opinions today when it comes to parenting. A quick Amazon search will turn up hundreds, if not thousands of books about parenting. There are websites and Facebook groups and podcasts dedicated to parenting. There are therapists and counselors and doctors who focus exclusively on parenting.
And while these resources can certainly be helpful, they shouldn’t be the first place we look for parenting guidance. We should look first to God for wisdom.
There are many extremely helpful Bible verses about parenting. These verses give us clarity on what matters most in parenting. They help us understand God’s priorities for parents and children.
Let these Bible verses about parenting encourage you and give you wisdom as you seek to raise your children.
Deuteronomy 6:7
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (Deuteronomy 6:7).
The foundation for successful parenting is consistent teaching from the word of God. God instructed the Israelites to take advantage of every opportunity to teach their children about Him.
Whether they were at home, walking, going to bed, or waking up, they were to always be pointing their children to the Lord.
In the same way, we must have regular conversations with our children about divine things. On the way to school, waiting in the doctor’s office, just prior to bed, or first thing in the morning - each scenario can be filled with God’s truth.
Ephesians 6:4
And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4)
If we’re not careful, we can easily provoke our children. When we command them to do something but don’t explain why, we provoke them. When we tell them to do as we say, not as we do, we provoke them.
When we treat them one way in public and another way in private, we provoke them.
What are we to do? We’re to bring up our children in the training and admonition of the Lord. We train them by consistently teaching them from the word of God and helping them put what they learn into practice. We admonish them by gently, yet firmly correcting them when they disobey God’s commands.
Proverbs 13:24
He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly
(Proverbs 13:24).
Some people believe that it’s inappropriate to discipline children. They feel that children should always be allowed to find their own way. But the Bible makes it very clear that parents must lovingly discipline their children.
Not out of anger or vengefulness, always from a heart of love.
Pastor Adrian Rogers pointed out three reasons why consistent discipline is so important:
- It is proof of our love
- It is the only way to set our children free from foolishness
- Correction helps keep our sons and daughters out of hell
Discipline, when properly given, is actually good for a child. It helps them see that actions have consequences and it teaches them the importance of obeying God’s commands.
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
This verse is not a formula for the conversion of our children. It is, however, a principle showing how God generally works. If we are faithful to train our children in the ways of the Lord, God will use our efforts to draw our children to Himself.
You could say that God uses our faithful instruction to “clear the way” to our children’s hearts.
Pastor Adrian Rogers explained it like this:
"Remember that Proverbs 22:6 is a principle, not a promise. A parent cannot override a child’s will. You can do everything right, and your child can still rebel against God. But if you want to do everything right and give your child the best opportunity, you have only to follow the clear plan God laid out for you in His Word."
Helpful Tools about Marriage and Family
How to Have a Happy Family
In this post, we’re going to look at what God’s word has to say about the family. When you understand God’s truth and apply it within your family, you will see an amazing transformation.
Proverbs 1:8-9
My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck (Proverbs 1:8-9).
Sometimes we can feel like the instruction we give to our children isn’t particularly valuable. Parenting often feels very mundane and tedious. We have to tell our children the same things again and again.
The truth is that the Biblical instruction we give to our children is incredibly valuable. It is like a crown laden with precious gems or a necklace of the finest gold. Why is it so valuable? Because it is through Biblical instruction that our children come to know the Lord Himself. Our children come to understand the precious truths of the gospel and embrace the eternal life Jesus offers. There is nothing more important than knowing God!
Psalm 127:3-5
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth (Psalm 127:3-5).
If we’re honest, there are times when we just get plain tired of parenting. Having children and consistently training them is a lot of work. We have to sort out arguments and deal with bad attitudes and address disobedience.
It can be easy to forget what a blessing children are.
Children are indeed a great gift from the Lord. We leave a legacy to them that they will pass on to their children. Speaking of the great privilege of parenting, Pastor Adrian Rogers said:
"I believe our greatest joy, our greatest privilege, and our greatest responsibility is to be a parent. The night our first son was born, I got down on my knees and prayed, 'Oh, God, if I never have any other kind of achievement, if I never have any material goods, if I never get to pastor a worthy church, never preach a good sermon, oh, God, I want you to make of me a good daddy.'”
Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord (Colossians 3:20).
These days, the idea of calling children to obedience isn’t particularly popular. We’re told that children should be allowed to express their every feeling, emotion, and desire. If we require obedience from our children, we’re being “restrictive” and “old-fashioned”.
The Bible, however, says that it is good and pleasing to the Lord when children obey their parents. When parents lovingly instruct their children and the children respectfully obey, it brings God great pleasure.
It’s important to note that our end goal is not that our children would be obedient. Our primary goal is that our kids would please God Himself. When we keep this in mind, it protects us from provoking or exasperating our children.
Psalm 78:4
We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done (Psalm 78:4).
We can tend to reduce Christian parenting to mere instruction. We tell our children what God commands them to do and make sure they obey. But Christian parenting is so much more than that.
Our overarching goal is to help our children see and love the glory and beauty of God. We want them to behold all that God has done and to delight in His works. We want them to understand God’s wonderful plan of salvation and to marvel at all that He has done to make that salvation freely available to them.
The more our children see the beauty and glory and splendor of God, the more they’ll desire Him and want to follow Him.
God Is For Us!
If there is one thing these Bible verses about parenting reveal, it’s that God is very much for us. He loves us and He loves our children. He wants us to have deep, loving, God-honoring relationships with our kids. And more than anything else, He wants our children to know Him personally.
Because of this, we can be confident that God will bless our efforts. Yes, we will fail as parents. There will be times when we are impatient or angry. We won’t always have all the answers. We will inevitably walk through difficult times with our children.
But God is greater than our weaknesses. He can use our imperfect efforts to accomplish great things in the lives of our children. He can take the seeds we plant and cause them to bloom.
