GOOD PARENTING
by Pastor Suresh Dass Joseph
[email protected]
Dear reader, it is with great joy that we bring you the word of God. Today, I want to speak to parents, single parents, grandparents, guardians, mentors, spiritual parents, and anyone who wishes to become a parent. Because parenting is not easy. Then we have other people, the social media, the culture, telling parents how to raise a child, but not everyone is pointing the parents to God’s way of raising a child. The world mostly wants to produce children who are only successful and popular. But God brings up children who are prepared and saved. And God has given parents tools to do so.
Think of a compass. It does not tell you about the obstacles, storms, and the distance of a journey, but it does tell us the clear direction of your target. In the same sense, every parent needs a compass. Not some celebrity advice, social-media advice, but the word of God as a compass.
In the bible, we read (Luke 15) about the son who left home for the city, and lost all that was in his possession. While working on the farm, caring for swine, he remembered his father. Coming to his senses, he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father, and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. “
Here are 3 lessons we can learn about raising children from this parable as told by Jesus.
1. The world raises children to be liked, but God raises children to be led.
Often the world says, “let the children do what they like, or don’t correct them too much, or else you may hurt their feelings”. But God’s word reminds us that the rod and the rebuke give wisdom, and a child left to himself brings shame to their parents. It doesn’t say you should be abusive, but it does say, as a parent, to be present and purposeful in raising them because correction is not hatred. And what the world calls “trauma,” the bible says, it is training. Correction is love with a backbone and not a wishbone. Again, the scripture says, “whom the Lord loves, He chastens.”
So if God disciplines His children whom He loves, then how much more are we to raise ours with correction. And just like a compass, discipline is not rejection, but direction! When the son in the parable came to his senses, he remembered his father, and he knew how to get back home. He had the compass. And sadly, sometimes our children do drift away, even to a point where it looks like an impossible situation. But hang on. Stay in faith, for God is about to speak to that child. And remember, when God speaks, hearts change, and children come back home.
2. Godly parenting is not about control; it’s about covenant.
Some parents feel it’s their job to control a child. Those rigid rules, enforcements, and excessive power do not change the child’s heart. It only changes behaviour temporarily. But a parent under a covenant says, “I will cover you, I will pray for you, I will speak life over you, I will guide you back to God.” The bible says, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.
You don’t raise children by pressure; you raise them through your prayers and by your presence. It’s not just correction, but also connection. For the children may forget all the lectures, but they will remember your example of love and affection, and being present for them.
3. Always trust God to have the final say over your children. In this parable, when the son left home with his possessions, I can imagine the pain of the Father. Thoughts may have come to his mind, “Where did I go wrong? Why is he rebellious? Why is he far from God?” And sometimes, like him, it is easy to carry the guilt that your children are nowhere near where you want them to be. The world may have influenced them. Friends may have misled them, but the good news is that God is still the author of their lives. His word says, “The Lord shall teach all your children. That means God can reach them. He can restore them and bring them home.
As parents, I encourage you to keep praying for your children. Always speak life over them. “You are chosen. You are loved. You are more than your mistakes.” These are words that can shape their identity and future. Set some Godly boundaries. Saying “no” is not cruel because sometimes your “no” is the reason they survive.
The good news is that God’s grace is always available to you as you go about raising, praying, and believing for that child.
God bless you
Ps Suresh Dass Joseph
[email protected]
