Raising Kids

Raising kids is one of the most challenging and rewarding gifts that a marriage can bring.

Proverbs 22:6 tells us that it is our responsibility to train our kids. The beauty of this verse is that it does not put all the responsibility on one parent.

Try to view you and your wife as teammates who bring unique skill-sets to parenthood. You need to recognize her strengths and when you should defer to her, while also recognizing your own strengths and responsibilities. Most importantly, your children need to see their parents as a united front. It is critical that you never undermine your wife in front of your kids, and they need to know the order of your priorities, which is God, your wife, and then children.

This may be initially difficult for them to understand. However, you want to teach your kids the proper family structure so that when they get older, they will know how to model that in their own homes. The Bible is the only perfect guide for raising children, but it teaches broad principles and does not cover every specific situation you will face. Lead our households with our wives by our sides, a Bible in our hands, and with continual prayers going up.

Question to Consider

1. How do your actions show your kids that your wife comes first?
2. What ways do you stand with your wife in front of your kids when the decision is not popular?
3. What actions will you commit to today to be the leader God intends you to be?