Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, wrote, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law (Gal 5:22,23).
A believer of Christ is called to bear the fruit of the Spirit, and one element in the fruit of the Spirit is joy. A follower of Christ is commanded to rejoice always (Phil 4:4). This joy of the Lord should be practiced in all areas of life.
One of the areas of practicing this Joy is in parenting. The writer of Proverbs says in Proverbs 23:24-25, “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice”.
Parenting our children is an outflow of how God parents us, because He is our heavenly Father. The Bible calls God the Father from whom all blessings flow to His children (James 1:17). Just as God delights when His children live by His standards, earthly parents should also rejoice when their children follow God's ways.
Be joyful because children are a gift from God
The very presence of children in a family should make parents happy, because the Bible says that children are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). Children are given by God as gifts to the parents. There are many couples who are not blessed with the gift of children, but this does not mean that God is angry with them or has cursed them. Barrenness can also be a blessing because God's love does not depend on whether we have children or not. But those who are blessed with children can be joyful because of their presence.
I have three children, and sometimes when I come home from work, I feel overwhelmed by the mess they've made in the house. I used to think it would be nice if they could stay somewhere else for a few days so I could get some rest. But when they actually go to my relatives' house for a week or so, I end up missing them deeply and feel that something is missing in the house. Yes, children can create a lot of mess, but their presence also brings so much joy.
Be Joyful When Your Children respond to the Gospel
The Bible teaches that all have sinned (Romans 3:23), and that includes our children. Sin never brings joy; it only leads to death (Rom 6:23). When they sin, it reminds us that they too need Christ. As Christian parents, this is a god given responsibility to point them to Jesus and teach them the Gospel. It is an opportunity to explain what sin is and why there is a need for a Savior.
Romans 10:17 says, Faith comes by the hearing of the word of God. So, parents should make every effort to teach them the good news of the Bible. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20) should begin at home. Parents have the privilege of obeying this command by sharing the good news of Christ with their children. And when these children are saved by believing in the Gospel, what a joy it is to their parents!
Be joyful when your children grow in character.
In Eph 6:1, the Bible says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord.” And when the children obey the commands of their parents, they are obeying God himself. For instance, when children start their day by reading the Bible and praying, or when they serve one another at home or in church, it brings joy to God. And since God is pleased, parents have every reason to be glad as well.
Although our children have not yet come to faith, parents should remain hopeful that God is at work in their hearts.They should appreciate their children’s obedience to the Word of God and thank the Lord for His work in their lives. Even more than worldly achievements, Christian parents are joyful when their children display humility, kindness, honesty, forgiveness, and compassion—traits that reflect Christ.
Spurgeon says, What bliss it would be to us to see our sons grow up, and with integrity, prudence, uprightness, and grace, walk in truth, and to behold our daughters springing up in all their comeliness, lovely with the adornment of a meek and quiet spirit, becoming in their homes while with us, or in the new homes which speedily grow up around them, patterns of everything that is tender, gracious, and kind, and true.
John says in 3 john 3:4 - I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.1
Being joyful as His stewards.
John Piper says, God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him. God’s design to pursue his own glory turns out to be love. And our duty to pursue God’s glory turns out to be a quest for joy. 2
As parents, we can find deep joy in the calling to raise our children for God’s purposes. Even in the challenges, there is gladness in knowing we are stewarding lives entrusted to us by Him.
Our parenting becomes an act of worship when we seek His glory above all else. Our children may not meet the world’s expectations—they may never earn great wealth or hold high positions—but as parents, we can rejoice in the Lord, knowing they are his and that He is sovereign over their lives.
Let us pray that God will help us, as parents, to delight in our children, and that He will help our children grow in Him with that same joy.
1 https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/the-parents-and-pastors-joy/#flipbook/
2 https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/god-is-most-glorified-in-us-when-we-are-most-satisfied-in-him
- Dr Shankar Babu
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