Raising children in the love of Christ

 

Raising children in the love of Christ isn’t just something good to do—it’s a holy responsibility. A sacred trust. And it runs so deep in Scripture, especially in those ancient Hebrew texts where God first began showing us what covenant really means, what family is meant to be, and how central love and wisdom are to it all. When you really sit with the Word, you see that raising children isn’t separate from walking with God—it’s part of it. It’s right there in the way He designed life, relationships, and worship from the beginning.

When God first spoke to Adam and Eve and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28), He wasn’t just talking about having children. That command had a spiritual weight to it. In Hebrew culture, the idea of multiplying wasn’t just about numbers—it was about passing on the image of God. Filling the earth with hearts that carried His likeness. That kind of parenting goes far beyond diapers and school lunches. It’s about raising souls. It's about growing people who know Him, reflect Him, and live in a way that honors His holiness.

In ancient times, parenting wasn’t done in isolation. A child didn’t belong to just one household—they belonged to the whole community. As the saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child". And that community understood its role. If a child was misbehaving, it wasn’t unusual for an elder or a neighbor to gently correct them right then and there. Not out of nosiness or pride, but out of love. And afterward, the parents would be told—and they would follow up with correction of their own. So the child actually got chastised twice! Not to shame the child, but to keep them on the right path. There was unity in that. Accountability. The whole village shared the burden and the blessing of raising the next generation to know righteousness and walk uprightly before God. That kind of care shaped character. It taught children what love looks like when it’s strong enough to correct and gentle enough to guide.

And the Shema—that beautiful portion from Deuteronomy 6—is at the very heart of how children are meant to be raised in God’s love. The Hebrew word Shema means “hear,” but it’s much deeper than just listening with ears. It’s hearing with the heart and then obeying. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” That’s personal. It begins inside the parent. It goes on: “These words I command you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children.” And that word “impress” in Hebrew—shanan—it means to sharpen, like a blade. To instill something so deeply that it becomes part of the person. That kind of teaching isn’t done in formal lessons. It happens when you’re sitting in your house, when you're walking along the road, when you're lying down at night, and when you're getting up in the morning. It’s in the rhythm of life.

That means teaching children about the love of God isn’t something we reserve for Sunday mornings or bedtime prayers. It’s woven into conversations over breakfast, the quiet car rides, the little moments when they ask hard questions. That’s where the truth gets planted. That’s where it takes root.

Discipline, too, plays a part in this. But not the harsh kind that crushes a child’s spirit. The discipline Scripture talks about is loving correction. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” That word “train” is chanak in Hebrew. It means to dedicate. To initiate. It’s like pointing a child toward the path they were made to walk. You don’t just tell them where to go—you walk it with them. You help them see the path, understand it, trust it.

And when they stumble—and they will—you correct them, not in anger but in love. Proverbs 3 reminds us: “Do not despise the Lord’s discipline... for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” There’s tenderness in that. A reminder that discipline isn’t rejection. It’s part of how God shows His delight. Parents are called to do the same—to correct with compassion, to guide with wisdom, and to never lose sight of the child’s worth in God’s eyes.

But of all the things a parent can do, nothing speaks louder than example. Children may forget what they’re told, but they rarely forget what they see. If a parent lives with integrity, prays with sincerity, treats others with kindness, and loves God openly, those things sink deep into a child’s spirit. That’s why Deuteronomy 6 starts with the command for parents themselves to love God with all their heart. A child raised in a home where that kind of love is lived—not just preached—is being shown what it means to walk with God.

Paul echoed this in Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” He was writing to a culture where fathers held complete authority over their households. Yet Paul called for gentleness. Respect. A kind of parenting that reflects God’s own heart—firm, but never harsh. Strong, but always wrapped in mercy.

And it isn’t something parents were ever meant to do alone. Just as it was in the days of Moses, the faith community still has a role to play. Hebrews 10 tells us to “encourage one another… and not forsake meeting together.” There’s strength in gathering with others who are walking the same road. When children see other believers living out their faith, when they’re welcomed into the broader family of Christ, they begin to understand that faith isn’t just a personal thing—it’s a communal one. The church becomes another layer of support, another place where the love of God is taught, lived, and passed on.

And through it all, there’s grace. So much grace. Because no parent gets it all right. No one walks this road without stumbling. But God’s grace isn’t small. It’s not just enough—it’s abundant. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” That’s a promise to every weary parent. When we feel we’ve failed, when we’re unsure of the next step, He is still at work. And His Spirit is able to reach our children in ways we never could.

Raising children in the love of Christ is a holy calling. It’s a long road with many turns, but it’s one walked with God Himself beside us. And when parents commit to living and teaching God’s truth, disciplining with love, modeling faith in the everyday, and leaning on their community and the grace of God—it’s then that children begin to grow into people who know, love, and follow Him. That is the heart of it all.

Ecclesiastes 8:11
"When people do wrong and nothing bad happens right away, they start to think it’s okay. Then their heart gets used to doing wrong."

Isaiah 26:10
"Even if someone gets a lot of kindness and good things, they still might not learn to do what’s right if they don’t want to."

Jeremiah 5:3
"You tried to help them learn, but they didn’t want to change. They got really stubborn and wouldn't listen to You."

Revelation 2:21
"You gave her time to say she was sorry and stop doing wrong, but she didn’t want to."

Hebrews 12:6
"God corrects the people He loves. He does it because they belong to Him."

Proverbs 22:6
"Teach your child what is right while they’re young, and when they grow up, they will remember and follow it."

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