WRITER: ANDY BROWN, LAY PASTOR @ MaconFBC | POSTED MARCH 6, 2024
Increase: Parenting Young Children Series | Part 1
Let’s face it, life with kids is unpredictable. Whether your kid cuts her own hair, drops your phone down the toilet, or dumps an entire gallon of milk on the floor trying to pour some for his cereal, parenthood is often a series of catastrophes that make you wonder how humanity has managed to survive this far. While much of our time is spent managing the increasingly creative disasters that children manufacture, there are moments when the house is quiet, everyone has had their bath and their teeth are brushed, and they are in their beds sleeping, and you remember that despite your (very reasonable) frustration, you love these little critters to the moon and back. And, if you’re like me, you wonder if you’re doing a good enough job.
There is no shortage of parenting tips and resources, and one can get lost in the rules and the advice – some of it bad, most of it useless – of parenting “experts”. Fear not, fellow parent, for I am like you: not an expert and with no rules or advice to give.
What I do have are some guidelines from a reliable source, and these guidelines have given me both purpose and sanity in the realm of parenthood.
A Simplified Approach
As a Bible-professing Christian, it seems to me that the natural place to turn for the rearing of children is to the life of Christ himself. He was, after all, a child at one time, and if we are to pattern our own lives after his, then it would only be right for us to pattern our children’s lives after his as well.
The Bible does not provide a detailed look at the childhood of Jesus, but it does give us a glimpse into what he was doing in his formative years: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Three simple things that marked the childhood of Jesus: increase in wisdom, increase in stature, and increase in favor with God and man. So if we’re going to start somewhere with our own children, we might as well start here and guide our own kids along this same road.
It is a great temptation to equate complexity with effectiveness. After all, the more complicated something is or the more we work at something, the more issues we’re able to address, right? Not so fast. As in other areas of Christian living, we will find that God’s work in our lives, and our children’s lives by extension, does not depend on how hard we run on the hamster wheel, and we can often end up getting in our own way. Better to focus on fundamentals and do a few things well than many things poorly.
With this in mind, let’s take this opportunity to focus on increasing in wisdom. We’ll look at the others later.
Growing in Wisdom
Very often, we tend to think of life in terms of right and wrong, and we encourage our children to see the world in this way as well. This is natural and helpful in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to parenting, but not everything always fits into these categories. There are many things that do, of course, and we can typically see what they are with clarity and live our lives accordingly. However, it is a Biblically faithful approach to live not only according to right and wrong, but according to wisdom. Paul instructs us to do this very thing in Ephesians 5:15-16: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
The Bible is very clear on the source of all wisdom. Solomon explains in Proverbs 2:6 that “the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” The apostle James tells us that “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Our attempts at increasing in wisdom will fail outside of the work and pursuit of God. This means we must teach our children about God and his word.
Gather Round, Kids
Kids love stories. Well, everyone loves stories, but kids especially. God has seemingly implanted a cheat code into the brains of tiny humans that gives parents a direct line into their hearts. Most kids get their stories these days from visual media because, quite frankly, it’s easy to placate a child by giving them access to some type of screen. But, dear parent, there is a better way.
Books may be old-fashioned, but they are, without question, far superior to screens when it comes to building a bond with a child. As a shared activity, reading a book with a child pays far greater dividends both intellectually and spiritually. So read to your kids.
That’s it.
Maybe it’s weird and uncomfortable because you’re not much of a reader. That’s okay; your kid isn’t much of a reader either, so you’re on level ground there. And maybe you don’t know what books to read with your children. Also okay; here are some suggestions to get started:
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan was first published in 1678 and has never been out of print since then. It’s an allegory of Christian living that has inspired and encouraged millions over centuries. A modern children’s retelling of The Pilgrim’s Progress was published by Lithos Kids in 2020 and contains beautiful and vibrant illustrations that will captivate young eyes and minds. Plus, each chapter comes with a summary and questions to inspire conversation. Lithos Kids has published several children’s books including a Bible story book that is well worth reading.
Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey (Lithos Kids): https://lithoskids.com/collections/littlepilgrim
Have kids that are more drawn to picture books? No problem, the series “Tales that Tell the Truth” is a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. These books tackle topics ranging from the grand story of the Bible (The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross) to how to pray to God (Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer) to what heaven is like (The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party). Buy the individual books or the whole series, which is getting a new title in July 2024.
Tales that Tell the Truth (The Good Book Company): https://www.thegoodbook.com/series/tales-that-tell-the-truth/book/language-english/
The whole point of the Bible is to connect us with the work and the person of Jesus. The Jesus Story Book Bible does an excellent job of tracing the main theme of the Bible through the narrative of Scripture, keeping kids and parents focused on God’s Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.
The Jesus Story Book Bible (Zonderkidz): https://www.zonderkidz.com/book/9780310708254/the-jesus-storybook-bible/
The Main Thing
Let’s not lose sight of the forest for the trees. Read the gospels with your children. Jesus said “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Your kids will be drawn to Jesus, so show them who he is in the pages of Scripture. Ask them basic questions about what Jesus says and does, and what we can learn from him. Guide their focus and their answers toward the savior. Help them know that Jesus does in fact love the little children of the world. I think you’ll be surprised what they pick up.
Of course, none of this will work as well as it should if we parents fail to implement and display wisdom in our own lives. Being a good and Godly parent requires being a dedicated follower of Christ. And because your children will go where you go, the best thing you can do is to go to Jesus. Ask God for the wisdom you need to raise your children. I have it on good authority that he’ll give it to you.
Let’s face it, life with kids is unpredictable. Whether your kid cuts her own hair, drops your phone down the toilet, or dumps an entire gallon of milk on the floor trying to pour some for his cereal, parenthood is often a series of catastrophes that make you wonder how humanity has managed to survive this far. While much of our time is spent managing the increasingly creative disasters that children manufacture, there are moments when the house is quiet, everyone has had their bath and their teeth are brushed, and they are in their beds sleeping, and you remember that despite your (very reasonable) frustration, you love these little critters to the moon and back. And, if you’re like me, you wonder if you’re doing a good enough job.
There is no shortage of parenting tips and resources, and one can get lost in the rules and the advice – some of it bad, most of it useless – of parenting “experts”. Fear not, fellow parent, for I am like you: not an expert and with no rules or advice to give.
What I do have are some guidelines from a reliable source, and these guidelines have given me both purpose and sanity in the realm of parenthood.
A Simplified Approach
As a Bible-professing Christian, it seems to me that the natural place to turn for the rearing of children is to the life of Christ himself. He was, after all, a child at one time, and if we are to pattern our own lives after his, then it would only be right for us to pattern our children’s lives after his as well.
The Bible does not provide a detailed look at the childhood of Jesus, but it does give us a glimpse into what he was doing in his formative years: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Three simple things that marked the childhood of Jesus: increase in wisdom, increase in stature, and increase in favor with God and man. So if we’re going to start somewhere with our own children, we might as well start here and guide our own kids along this same road.
It is a great temptation to equate complexity with effectiveness. After all, the more complicated something is or the more we work at something, the more issues we’re able to address, right? Not so fast. As in other areas of Christian living, we will find that God’s work in our lives, and our children’s lives by extension, does not depend on how hard we run on the hamster wheel, and we can often end up getting in our own way. Better to focus on fundamentals and do a few things well than many things poorly.
With this in mind, let’s take this opportunity to focus on increasing in wisdom. We’ll look at the others later.
Growing in Wisdom
Very often, we tend to think of life in terms of right and wrong, and we encourage our children to see the world in this way as well. This is natural and helpful in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to parenting, but not everything always fits into these categories. There are many things that do, of course, and we can typically see what they are with clarity and live our lives accordingly. However, it is a Biblically faithful approach to live not only according to right and wrong, but according to wisdom. Paul instructs us to do this very thing in Ephesians 5:15-16: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
The Bible is very clear on the source of all wisdom. Solomon explains in Proverbs 2:6 that “the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” The apostle James tells us that “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Our attempts at increasing in wisdom will fail outside of the work and pursuit of God. This means we must teach our children about God and his word.
Gather Round, Kids
Kids love stories. Well, everyone loves stories, but kids especially. God has seemingly implanted a cheat code into the brains of tiny humans that gives parents a direct line into their hearts. Most kids get their stories these days from visual media because, quite frankly, it’s easy to placate a child by giving them access to some type of screen. But, dear parent, there is a better way.
Books may be old-fashioned, but they are, without question, far superior to screens when it comes to building a bond with a child. As a shared activity, reading a book with a child pays far greater dividends both intellectually and spiritually. So read to your kids.
That’s it.
Maybe it’s weird and uncomfortable because you’re not much of a reader. That’s okay; your kid isn’t much of a reader either, so you’re on level ground there. And maybe you don’t know what books to read with your children. Also okay; here are some suggestions to get started:
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan was first published in 1678 and has never been out of print since then. It’s an allegory of Christian living that has inspired and encouraged millions over centuries. A modern children’s retelling of The Pilgrim’s Progress was published by Lithos Kids in 2020 and contains beautiful and vibrant illustrations that will captivate young eyes and minds. Plus, each chapter comes with a summary and questions to inspire conversation. Lithos Kids has published several children’s books including a Bible story book that is well worth reading.
Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey (Lithos Kids): https://lithoskids.com/collections/littlepilgrim
Have kids that are more drawn to picture books? No problem, the series “Tales that Tell the Truth” is a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. These books tackle topics ranging from the grand story of the Bible (The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross) to how to pray to God (Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer) to what heaven is like (The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party). Buy the individual books or the whole series, which is getting a new title in July 2024.
Tales that Tell the Truth (The Good Book Company): https://www.thegoodbook.com/series/tales-that-tell-the-truth/book/language-english/
The whole point of the Bible is to connect us with the work and the person of Jesus. The Jesus Story Book Bible does an excellent job of tracing the main theme of the Bible through the narrative of Scripture, keeping kids and parents focused on God’s Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.
The Jesus Story Book Bible (Zonderkidz): https://www.zonderkidz.com/book/9780310708254/the-jesus-storybook-bible/
The Main Thing
Let’s not lose sight of the forest for the trees. Read the gospels with your children. Jesus said “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Your kids will be drawn to Jesus, so show them who he is in the pages of Scripture. Ask them basic questions about what Jesus says and does, and what we can learn from him. Guide their focus and their answers toward the savior. Help them know that Jesus does in fact love the little children of the world. I think you’ll be surprised what they pick up.
Of course, none of this will work as well as it should if we parents fail to implement and display wisdom in our own lives. Being a good and Godly parent requires being a dedicated follower of Christ. And because your children will go where you go, the best thing you can do is to go to Jesus. Ask God for the wisdom you need to raise your children. I have it on good authority that he’ll give it to you.