The Faithful Parent
Parenting is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s about faithfully enduring the race ahead of us. There have been days in our parenting journey when we’ve wanted to throw in the towel. There is nothing wrong with admitting this; it’s simply a fact. Every parent is human. So, what does faithfulness in parenting look like? How do you keep from giving up on your parenting journey? If God has given you a gift in your child(ren), how do you properly respond by being faithful to that gift? I wish these answers were easy and that we all had clear directions to follow, but that is not the case. Parenting requires patience, courage, and, most importantly, faithfulness.
“But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5
It is late in the journey of God’s people when Joshua reminds the people of the commandment given to them by God through Moses. It’s a reminder of how to remain faithful in all that we do and say as followers of Jesus, but also as parents and leaders. Remaining a faithful parent begins and ends with remaining a faithful follower of Jesus. While the Ten Commandments are essential and were given to be followed, Scripture consistently emphasizes loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This foundation will guide and shape the observance of the Ten Commandments. Being a faithful parent is all about carrying out this commandment. Joshua didn’t go back to remind the people of the Ten Commandments, he reminded them of this commandment. Later in Scripture, this commandment would be connected to how we love our neighbors.
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
If I could give you three simple instructions for being a faithful parent, they would be the following:
- Make life in your home all about the heart.
- Make life in your home focused on the souls of your children.
- Make life in your home about preparing minds to learn.
Make life in your home all about the heart.
We live in a world driven by emotions, where if something makes you feel good, you go ahead and do it. Every parent, whether a follower of Jesus or not, creates “heart-training sessions” in their home. These heart trainings, of course, are based on the worldview of the parent, but they occur daily in the home. We often connect the heart to emotions. In a world where love is defined as a feeling rather than a choice, emotions have become the driving force behind decisions. This is not the focus Jesus had on the heart. Jesus focused on the heart in terms of loving Him above all else. The love you give to Jesus in your home should be greater than the love we give to each other. My friend Ben Schettler says it best: “We must give people the truth in love.” Many homes have become environments focused on feeling good, rather than being prepared to love through the heart.
“And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.” 2 Kings 23:25
In the story of King Josiah, Scripture defines him as unlike any other king. The reason for this description is because he turned his heart to the Lord. Helping our children turn their hearts to the Lord means being intentional in training their hearts to love God, their family, their future spouse, and others, as a daily choice. You don’t wake up every day feeling like you should love others; you make a conscious choice to love. When you make your home all about the heart, you’ll watch your children make decisions that honor God and, in turn, honor others. They will learn that love is a choice they make, not just a feeling that comes today and is gone tomorrow. Heart training is a constant process that does not happen overnight.
We have three boys in our home, and you can imagine we've seen our fair share of fights. However, each time, we go back to identifying what is in the heart of our boys that leads them to behave that way. No one has the right to violate someone else’s space, and when that happens, it’s not because of emotional reaction; it’s because somewhere along the way, they prepared their hearts to respond that way. The preparation of the heart is the single most important aspect a parent can focus on in their children. The heart is the center of all things; it is what Jesus says He died for. As faithful parents, we must consistently return to the “heart of the matter.” I’ve heard parents say they allow their children to make decisions and then follow their lead. The biggest area I hear this is in education. Our children may say they want to go to a particular school, and their heart is sold on it. But their heart isn’t sold—their feelings and emotions are. This is a key difference in parenting. Knowing the difference between a heart decision (as God defines it) and a feeling-based decision (as culture defines it) is crucial.
“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.” Ezekiel 36:24-28
This is what we should seek after in our children: a clean heart, a pure heart, a heart focused on Jesus and His Word. A faithful parent starts every day of parenting with a focus on the heart of their child(ren). It is an intentional focus—a focus that becomes the lifeline from their child’s heart to the Heart of God. Faithful parents see the heart as central, not feelings or emotions. Every question, every parenting moment, every teaching, and every conversation must be directed toward how your child views their heart in relationship to God. With all your heart, love the Lord your God.
Mr. Euler has over 20 years of experience working in Christian Schools, 13 as a Head of School and is currently the Head of School at Word of God Academy, Shreveport, LA., a ministry of Word of God Ministries.
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