What are we talking about today?
We all know that we live in a broken world. And while we want to protect our children from all of the sin, pain, and hardship, the simple reality is that… we can’t.
Good parenting is hard, and it takes hard, intentional work. And to be a biblical parent, raising our kids to know Jesus, we need to prepare them not only for the joy of following Christ but also prepare them for the hard realities of this life.
How do we guide our children through the brokenness of the world? How do we deal with it ourselves?
That’s what we’re tackling today, my friend, so that you can lead your Christian family through the good and the bad of everyday life.
Let’s dive in.
Listen to Episode 104:
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More resources for you!
If today’s topic is meaningful to you, these resources will give some additional support:
- 5 Tools Every Busy Mom Needs to Move Her Family From Autopilot to Intimacy is a great FREE 5-day email course to give you biblical encouragement and a real-life action plan.
- Finding Your Identity in Christ is a devotional workbook that will give deep roots to your sense of purpose and identity.
- 100 Ways to Love Your People Well is another freebie that will give you some encouraging ideas in loving your kids AND loving the Lord daily.
[This post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.]
Today's Episode Highlights
Good parenting goes so much deeper than meeting the legal responsibilities of parenthood.
Especially as Christian parents! When our top priority is biblical parenting, raising our kids to know and love Jesus, we can get overwhelmed with the responsibility of it all.
And then, when we must face the reality that the world around us disagrees with some of the things Christ tells us are good, true, and beautiuful… and we run face first into the brokenness and sin of the world we live in…
We can feel like it’s all too much.
But it’s not, my friend. Biblical parenting is a high calling, but an important one. And one that we do under the covering of grace from the Holy Spirit! Not of our own strength, but the Lord’s strength.
The deeper goals of biblical parenting
The world around us does care about how we parent our children. At a bare minimum, there are legal requirements: Parents must provide their children with food, shelter, appropriate medical care, and education.
These things are important, yes. But they only point to deeper biblical truths.
Parents have a responsibility to protect their children: physically (shelter, medical care) but also spiritually and emotionally.
Parents have a responsibility to nourish their children: physically (food) but also spiritually and emotionally.
Parents have a responsibility to teach their children: education, but also spiritual truths (see Deuteronomy 6) as well as teaching children how to live in this world relationally and emotionally.
Running into the brokenness of the world
As we protect, nourish, and teach our children, we will run into the hard reality that the world around us does not live by the call of Jesus.
When we consider how best to protect our children, we can feel overwhelmed by the power of sin and brokenness in the world. We must consider things like:
- What activities do we allow our children to be involved in?
- What friends do we allow our children to spend time with?
- How do we utilize technology in our home?
And so much more!
But, we also must be encouraged, friend, by the reality that as you work to protect your children, their Holy Father is their refuge and shelter… and yours too!
The same is true with our responsibility to nourish our children.
As we consider their media intake, the messages they will hear at church and school, and the way that their friends and mentors will speak into their lives (and therefore, their hearts), we must be intentional. We cannot simply go along with whatever “tastes good” – the junk food of the soul. Our children need to be nourished with truth and beauty, not just the generic or even untrue messages that our culture wants them to hear.
Finally, as we consider our call to teach our children, we must be firm in our own faith before we can teach them anything about their own.
If you are struggling to stand firm or to fully understand your own identity in Christ, grab my Finding Your Identity in Christ Devotional Workbook to go deeper with the Lord.
The world will disagree with some of the things Christ tells us are good, true, and beautiful. So what do we do when everything around us is shouting a message we don’t want our children to hear?
- We learn all we can about what God says is true, by reading the Bible, attending a gospel-centered church, and seeking to know the Lord personally.
- We talk to our children about the truths of Scripture and help them to personally interact with the claims of Jesus.
- We interact with the world’s message in order to understand it and teach our kids what is right and wrong, and how to interact with it.
Is this easy work? No.
But we don’t do this work alone.
Ultimately, Jesus is the answer to the world’s brokenness. And He has already told us that “in this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
When you feel troubled by the world, turn to Christ. Let him be your answer as well as your guide.
Want more encouragement on this topic?
Check out these other episodes for more biblical encouragement and practical tips on this topic:
- Episode 72 // A busy mom’s guide to understanding the Bible, applying it to real life, and shaping your family’s spiritual growth
- Episode 93 // Parenting tips for the busy mom: 3 ways to love your kids well in the craziness of Christian family life (Foundational Pillars 101)
- Episode 100 // Building family relationships as you walk through the many seasons of life: from celebration to sadness and everything in between
And don’t forget to grab a resource or two that will help you LOVE Christian family life!
Friday Faith Follow-up
We cannot love our children well without making the effort to take care of ourselves first. Let’s consider together why that matters, how we can do it, and find encouragement in the One we are serving along the way.
Hey, before you go!
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Hugs & blessings to you, my friend! I’ll talk to you soon.
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A reminder of the Disclaimers & Disclosures Policy: I am an affiliate with many of the resources I recommend, which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through my provided links. I never recommend products I don’t love! Also, I am a licensed therapist but this podcast is not therapy. It is not professional or personal advice to your specific situation. Get info about professional counseling here.
