Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “That it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4)

Striving To Raise Godly Children

One of the greatest gifts given to man is the ability to create life by the power of God. Children are a heritage from the Lord, a divine gift. Through the power of childbearing, a man and woman declare the glory of God in His creative wisdom to form an eternal being that will never cease to exist. God gives the body life and creates the child in His image. When a child is born into the world, they enter a physical world that will be temporary for a span of years. As a created being from God, the heart, soul, and mind must be formed to recognize their Creator and to find their purpose in life to the glory of the Father. Children are created for God’s glory.

In the creation, the Lord told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. It was God’s design to bring children into the world by the union of a man and a woman. In the beginning, man was created for the glory of God, and that glory should continue in the children. What Satan accomplished in the garden was to deceive the woman into following his wisdom, and sin entered the world. This impacted the family structure immediately. After being expelled from the garden, Adam and Eve bore children. Their first son was Cain, and then Abel was born. The power of sin destroyed the family when Cain killed his brother Abel. Adam and Eve experienced the consequence of sin in its most terrible form – death.

The challenge of parenting has always been the desire to raise godly children. For most of the world, the primary purpose of parenting is to bring children into the world for selfish reasons and teach them to live for selfish reasons. God is not taught in the home, the word of God is not honored, and the lives of the children are measured by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. The people of God strive to instill in their children the presence of God in their lives. Having godly children does not happen easily; it is not about being lucky parents, and it is not accomplished without great effort. Godly children do not just happen – they are formed in the schoolroom of the divine word of God on a daily basis. Godly children come from godly parents who demonstrate godly character in their daily lives.

Seeking greater faith involves instilling that faith in the hearts of children to be godly. Godliness is profitable for life to keep children from the harmful darts of Satan. Children must be taught to love the Lord with all their hearts to keep them from the evil one. Time must be spent in forming the heart to love God and His word. The Bible must be a constant source in the lives of the children as they see how much their parents love the Lord. Each generation is taught the grace and mercy of a loving God who desires for them to enjoy eternal life. Ultimately, the role of the parent is to instruct their children into everlasting life. Children must develop their own faith, but parents must lay the foundation for the child to build upon.

Raising godly children begins with godly parents. Satan desires to have our children in his world of lust and immorality. Being a parent is not for the faint of heart. Moses told the people that it required a daily regimen of diligence in the word of God and learning how to love the Lord. Parents who want their children to go to Heaven will do everything in their power to nurture their children’s hearts to serve the Lord, because that is all that truly matters. Riches, popularity, and pleasures are fleeting. Godliness is eternal. Faith begins in the word of God. Build the home on the foundation of God’s word, live according to the word, and let your children see how much you love God and His Son, Jesus Christ. So often, children tend to grow up to be just like their parents, despite their best efforts. Where are you leading your children? Teach them godliness. Show them Christ. You are the first impression of who God is in their life. Show them His glory.