If we want to be parenting well then we need to be parenting with purpose. We need to define why we are raising kids and how exactly God wants us to do it. It is important to know what kind of kids we hope to be sending out into the world in eighteen or so years time.
Christian family values are important, but there is more to having a christian home than that. Biblical parenting involves parenting from the inside out - the same way that God parents us. We need to look at the purposes of why God created mankind in the first place, and then see what the bible says about bringing up godly children with those purposes in mind.
A christian home starts with you - the parent(s). (If you are a single christian parent, and your spouse is either absent, or not a believer read this incredibly encouraging story from the bible.) The very BEST thing you can do to parent your children in a way that pleases God is to love God yourself. Stick close to him.
If a preacher got up to minister God's word and he was running on empty himself, it would be... disappointing, irresponsible, sad, and probably bad, as well. God is asking us to minister to our families all day long, not just for one hour on a Sunday, and often we are arrogant enough or silly enough to try and do it without being full of His Spirit!
Do you want to bear his fruit of love and joy and patience in your home? What does Jesus ask us to do? Remain in Him. And how do we do that? By loving Him, and loving others. Go to him daily, hourly, and ask him to full you with His Spirit, and to full you with love for Him and for your family (and others!).
Whether we realise it or not, we are probably the most important role models in our children's lives. If you want to teach your children to love God, to love His Word, to be joyful, loving, kind and generous, then you need to be all those things yourself. And while some of you may be able to do that on your own, I know I certainly can't. The only way to exhibit God-like character consistently is to have God inside you! Friends, above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life. Let life flow in your home, and let it start in you. Plug into the Source of abundant, beautiful life.
For more information on christian parenting please visit the following links:
Christian Parenting
What is "Christian Parenting" and what are some of the ways and purposes of parenting successfully as Christians?
