Text: Ephesians 6:1-4
I heard someone refer to a friend’s parents once as intentional parents: I haven’t forgotten that statement, and it is something I pray about often. It’s fairly easy to become a parent, but to parent with discipline and instruction from God? (v. 4) Well, that is a little more difficult.
There is only one way to know instruction that comes from the Lord: we need to know Him and know His word. The Bible has become lost in our homes, and it is something that we must be intentional about bringing back.
- Mothers, let’s encourage one another. What are tangible ways that we can become more intentional parents?
- How can we bring the Bible back into our homes?
- Being intentional is a quality that we should all strive for. How do we become more intentional in our day-to-day life?
[x]
Leave a Reply
30 thoughts on "godly parenting"
I don’t have any children but I understand the concept of intent. Everything has a purpose. One purpose of a parent is to prepare the child. Sometimes that may take sacrifices, sometimes that may take patience, most times it takes love. I can acknowledge the duties of a parent and I hope that one day I’m blessed wnought to fulfill them to the greatest extent, by the glory of God. Thank you Lord for saving my soul #Amen
Important of education and the education sector is increasing a lot with the passage of time and people are willing to secure your future to get the higher education. Without education we can't spend better life and education teaches us a lot of things to make us properly human. So if you want any kind of study help or need best essay writing services then you can contact with us.
Honor your father and mother. This is what I am trying to do. My parents are in their 80s now and frail. To honor and cherish them is my goal. I want them to know and feel they are loved. I have been blessed with wonderful parents. I pray God to bless them in their final years here. Amen
Similar to Sarah, I'm surprised that I feel a need to comment considering I have not had the privilege of this experience….yet. Sometimes I wonder why is it taking so longggg…but God knows best, and I'm receiving revelation that my wait is about preparation. I can't imagine myself as a single birth parent; no slight against those who are, I just don't know where I would begin w/o a husband to help. My revelations are revealed in many various ways….this devotional is great, reading/studying scripture, unexpected conversations/situations, my own parents, and a dear friend who often baby sits her grand daughter.
The "intention" of God's will for children to be taught about Him from an early age is such a reflection of His love for us all. I'm realizing that "discipline" is about educating to get better, and applies not just when we've done wrong and need correcting, but also as a foundation for wisdom to grow and develop in our understanding. It applies to us as adults when we intentionally respond to our Heavenly Father's commands, and we as parents are to teach our children how to see God's promises in everyday living.
I am enlightened and encouraged through everyone's comments! Have a blessed day!
I just couldn’t leave your site prior to suggesting that I really enjoyed the usual information an individual supply on your visitors? Is gonna be again often to check out new posts
My website Maud Schleisman
Today my youngest child is 18. I rejoice that she has passed with dignity and grace into official adulthood. As I read this passage I reflected on my relationship with my own parents now. We are intimately bound up with our children in their younger years. They are dependent on us for virtually every aspect of their daily lives and we see their character take shape and have to confront our own nature exposed through the challenges they reveal. I had to regularly ask for forgiveness from God and from my children as anger or frustration would seem to explode when I had unrealistic expectations of them or myself.
My mother is in her eighties and enjoys independent living, full mobility, a family close by, a loving church community and pockets of good health. I have seen her weather many storms and as we count and celebrate birthdays each month, increasingly she says goodbye to faithful friends and relatives who have ' run their race'. I have seen my mother's physical and mental stamina diminish but her heart of love and her generosity of spirit continues to grow and the fruit of the spirit is ripe within her. Leviticus 19:32 says ' Stand in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly, and revere your God.' I stand in the middle now. I look forward to being a grandma and am enjoying my adult children and pray that I will be full of wisdom and love to be able to honour and respect my parent's generation.
My kids are 19 and 25. We homeschooled beginning when my daughter was done with 6th grade and my son just finishing first grade. Many reasons for the change, but essentially, so we would have God be a part of our kids lives 24/7. Now I am a Grandma, and my daughter’s little girl is 2 and a half. She is VERY strong willed, but my daughter is being very intentional about bringing the love of Jesus into her daughter’s world. I just came across a book for the parents of strong-willed children called ‘You Can’t Make Me! But I Can Be Pursuaded’ (I might be a little off on that title … But if you search ‘You Can’t Make Me’, I’m sure you will find it!). I want to get this book for my daughter… I heard the author speak on ‘Focus on the Family’ a couple months ago… A great Godly woman!! Thought I would recommend it here for anyone looking for advice on being a Godly parent to a strong-willed child. Blessings!!!
Hermione, Consider the thought before uttering the word. Silently ask God to order your steps with His word! Give thanks for patience!
My biggest challenge is to be a patient mom. I am struggling big time in that area. I have to remember to pray daily to attain this important fruit of the spirit. God is teaching me to be patient thru situations in my life. I want to react to my children with love and kindness not impatience.
Wow apparently I can’t spell…. Sorry about that!
I am so far from being the Godly mother I want to be. I anger to quickly and am on my phone way to often. I take my kids for granted because I stay home with them. I don’t spend enough 1 on 1 time. I have a 2 and a 4 yr old. My 4 year old is soooo strong willed and I’m trying. To figure out how to point that I’m the right direction. Some of my favorite things we have done is memorization. She knows John 3:16, the Lord’s Prayer, and numerous others but my favorite is when she was 2 we taught her Mark 16:6 “He has risen! He is not here!” She had to say it before she could do her Easter basket. Same with “for unto you is born this day in the city of Daveid, a Savior who is Chriat The Lord.” On Christmas. But my favorite is what my husband does every so often. When she gets in trouble and it warrants a spanking… He will tell me to give him her spanking. We can then tell her that Jesus took our spanking for us…. And so on…great conversation starter. We also try to pray after disciplining…to where she has to take responsibility by asking for forgiveness and naming what she did wrong. Hope this helps. Any suggestions for a VERY strong willed child would be appreciated.
Ladies, don’t forget about music. I still remember the christian songs from my childhood(I’m 52). It’s funny how they pop out from out of no where. Music is such a great way to bring worship into your homes!
While I am not yet a mother as a wife I still see the need to be intentional in my home. For too long we have been serving The Lord some of the time and not all of the time. It’s time to get back to Christ, get back to God. God must come first in everything that we say or do because otherwise all that we do shall fail. We can’t serve him only some of the time or half the time. No we must serve him all the time and give him praise in all that we do.
I love the “hands free mama” approach. Something that’s been nagging me lately. When my daughter turned 3 we started memorizing Scripture. We focused on one Scripture a month, one theme. Every night we’d say it together and by mid-month she’d know it. She memorized 1 Cor 13:4-11 when she was 4 & The Lord’s Prayer when she was 5. It’s incredible what their young minds retain. The Scriptures were a sweet reminder when there was a discipline issue in a specific area. Unfortunately it’s been over a year since we’ve done this. Something I miss!
As a mother of a 28 year old, I can say that being intentional does work. We were that way with him. He loved to go to youth groups and hang out with those kids. We were tuned into this and would do all we could to get him to these meetings and trips. It works. So have heart you mothers of young children.
Such a great reminder to act loveingly and show our kids discipline through love. It is definitely hard to do. It’s not easy to hold back and not snap when our children need “discipline” but if we show them discipline through love, our homes would be so different (at least mine would be!). I am praying to continue to work on this in our house… All summer/ fall we worked on daily devotion to God but now I need to turn my negative disciplining into loving discipline!
I'm struggling with trying to teach my almost 4 year old daughter about Jesus and the Bible. I was hoping this would be a good place to ask for tips!?!? :) we try and teach her verses, etc….but I didn't know if there were good resources to use, or traditions to implement.
Hi Carrie — Do you have the Jesus Storybook Bible? It is wonderful. Beautifully illustrated and every story points to Jesus. I can't say enough good things about it!
I loved that use of the word “intentional”! When I looked up the definition of the word in Webster’s not only did it state 1) done by intention or design, but the 3rd definition said: having external reference. Isn’t that what we are trying to do as patents!!! Parent by intention or “design” or external reference -God’s design, God’s wisdom, God’s plan. How eye opening one word can be!
Reading these comments are encouraging. We have an 8 month old little dude, I’m trying to figure out how I can show and teach my son about Christ when he doesn’t even know how to walk. I don’t want to waste these precious moments because I think he may be too little to understand. I want my son to see Christ in his father and I. Thank you Lord for Your word.
Hey there! My youngest is 8 months old also. And boy, am I sure going to do things different with him. I sing to him “Jesus loves me” all the time. I show him constant love. I include him in prayer while praying for my other kids even if what I’m praying for doesn’t apply to him. And I’m so much more patient with him. Hopefully, these little things will help him to grow into a little God loving dude.
I try to read my sons children bible to him daily. This is one way I make God known in his life. Also, I downloaded a children’s devotional that I have been trying to get him involved in. He is only four though and I have a hard time keeping his attention. I need to stay unplugged like you ladies mentioned. I don’t want him to see me so tuned out to them (my kids) while I’m using my phone.
Yes! This is something I have been thinking about daily, now that we are heading headfirst into the discipline years. (My son is 23 months.)
The verse that God keeps bringing to the front of my mind is Romans 2:4. It's His kindness that leads us to turn from our sin. Not His wrath or His judgment. How am I modeling this to my son? Does he see that I am on his side, even when he disobeys or acts out? This is my heart's prayer that he sees that I am always, always on his side. I heard Andy Stanley say it that God hates sin, which is why he is on OUR side against it. And he and his wife tried to do the same with their kids.
It's funny that my first comment on this study will be pertaining to a subject that I do not have the privilege to experience yet! Although, we are in the process of adopting a little babe!
As I was reading this morning and reflecting on how I can take this to heart today, I read from the ESV study bible notes and it said that "obedience is evidence that you know God". I may not have children to train up to obey God & his/her parents, but I am called to obey God, my Heavenly Father. The only way that my heart can truly obey God is if I am daily communing with Him and if I deeply know His heart and His desires so that I can live a life of joyful obedience. I may just put this thought in my future parenting idea book! If my future children don't know the greatness of God's love & also don't know my heart, how will they know how to obey God or myself? My prayer is that I will always be seeking God & growing closer and closer to His heart and out of that I live a life of obedience.
Sarah, I hope that in the 12 weeks that have passed you already have your sweet baby or are ever getting closer to adopting him/her. I am a relatively new mommy with a 16 month old little girl. Your post is so encouraging in light of the depth of your planning before you become a mommy. I pray you have a beautiful and trustiing friendship with your husband. My friendship with my husband, Josh got us through many sleepless nights with Mabry Charlotte's colic/reflux issues and out 19 days in the NICU. I'm so glad you mentioned "obedience is evidence that you know God" – WHAT AN AMAZING REMINDER! Thank you for that! Outside of the parental rhelm I've been struggling with being Christ-like in the face of my many co-workers who do not know Christt. My personality has always been the "peacemaker" to make everyone feel comfortable….and as we all know, those who a spiritually dead become quite uncomfortable in hearing the Gospel. I am so unbelieveably thankful for She Reads Truth, my daily devotions through this site, and the opportunity to connect with so many women who love our Savior Jesus!!!
This reminds me again of the book I need to read — Loving Your Kids on Purpose by Danny Silk. I’ve heard it recommended many a time and this is another nudge in that direction.
I just had a conversation with my husband two days ago about being more intentional. Now, The Lord has opened my eyes about being more intentional as well. I have been trying to think of a way to initiate bible study time in our house and I now know this needs to be a priority in our home. I love Amber’s comment about being unplugged while with the kids and this is definitely something I need to work on.
I have sinned being so angry and teaching my children anger. God has been working wonders on me the last couple months and I couldn’t have changed without him but I see how it has wounded my children and it breaks my heart. Slowly, I am trying to reverse the affects of it and show them love instead but it has definitely hurt our relationships with each other.
Now I just need to teach them the obey your mother and father part. ;)
For me, the most intentional choice I have made for my children is to be a “hands free mama.” I am intentional about my kiddos not seeing me on my phone (texting, on Twitter, etc). I want them to know that they are my priority – a gift to me from God. I want my time with my children to be full of memories. It goes by too fast to waste a single minute!
So true! God disciplines his children through love. The world has taken discipline and they have twisted it into something cruel. But God exercises discipline through love, to help us grow spiritually.
Praise God we have a good father!
Sarah <3 http://www.bbloves.wordpress.com