“The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice” (Proverbs 23:24). When my wife and I decided to have children we came up with a single fixed rule: we might not win every battle but we must win every war. There has never been an army on this planet that has won every battle, and there...
They brought young children to him, that he should touch them. — Mark 10:13 Her birth did not happen at all the way we had planned. I’d had visions of breathing through contractions in a beautiful hospital birthing room—a slow process with a beautiful end result. Our daughter, however, made her entrance feet first, requiring...
Walk circumspectly, . . . redeeming the time. Ephesians 5:15–16 The latter part of Ephesians 5 deals with the duties of wives and husbands, while the early verses in Ephesians 6 address children and their relationships with their parents. The practicalities listed in these verses are essential ingredients for a truly happy home. Let’s use...
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). As a father, I would go to any length to ensure my children’s stability and safeguard their wellbeing, as I am sure almost every other dad would happily do. Perhaps the most significant instrument at a father’s...
Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 Children are really adults in the making. As parents, it is our duty to direct our children’s journeys from childhood to adulthood. “Nurture” in Ephesians 6:4 means to cherish, prepare, coach, and educate. This verse also implies disciplinary correction— “admonition” —as children...
Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. — Psalm 127:3 You wake up early, hoping to get just a few minutes of quiet before the day begins, but the children have other ideas. Your day is full of changing diapers, laundry, getting kids to school or...