Dr. Jeffrey L. Myers, in his recent book, Cultivate, says that the biblical model for parenting teaches that parents are responsible for the spiritual nurture of their children. Continuing, he says … In our search for an answer to those questions, we examined the biblical record, Hebrew culture and education, the nature of rabbinical discipleship, and church catechism traditions. We concluded that most parents are asking the wrong questions. They’re asking “how” and “who” questions – “How should I parent? Which method is best?” and “Whose job is it?” when they’d do better to first ask, “To what end are my children being raised?” Until we answer the “to what end” question, trying to figure out the hows and whys invariably leads to a wild goose chase for more “effective” methodologies.
Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe is fond of saying, “Methods are many – principles are few. Methods always change – principles never do.” So, then, we must start with the question: what do we want our children to be and do?
Here’s a working statement of parenting from a biblical perspective:
Children are to be raised to love God, to steward their gifts, to be wise, and to be a blessing. The primary responsibility belongs to the parents, and yet wise parents draw significantly on godly individuals to nurture their children spiritually and also vocationally.
