Let’s face it. We dads are stereotypically well-known for refusing to pull over and ask for directions, even when we’re unsure we’re going the right way. Honestly, it can be embarrassing for a dad to drive his whole family somewhere and realize he actually has no idea how to get to the destination as he thought. Also, if we pull over, how can we know we’re getting directions from someone we can trust? Bible verses about parents may have your answer.
I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a dad that’s not typically an expert with directions on the road. I literally have to depend on a map or the GPS every single mile of the way. If my phone were to die or my map had mistakes, there’s no doubt I’d get lost, especially when the roads have changed.
The world is changing every day for our kids, especially with technology. The routes of fathering today may not look the same as they did several years ago, and things will continue changing. Like a dad admitting he’s lost in the road, its hard to admit when we are oblivious to important fatherhood concepts of today. But on the journey of parenting, every father has a timeless map and someone he can always pull over to for direction: the Bible and Jesus. There are bible verses about parents. There are bible verses about dads!
It sounds cliche, but the Word of God has an ageless sense of direction that provides guidance for every father and every generation, offering Jesus as a GPS.
Here are 10 Bible verses that guide me on my parenting journey:
1. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Faith in and the love of the Lord primarily rests in the family unit. It’s important that we use our leadership as dads to enthusiastically lead our families in the ways of Jesus, live by His commandments, and incorporate the Bible into our family’s daily routines.
2. Ephesians 6:4
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Dads, let’s be careful not to correct our children in a way that makes them bitter, rather encourage them, raising them up in the Lord. Let’s let our kid(s) know we’re proud of them every chance we can.
3. Proverbs 22:6
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
As we father our children according to God’s Word, considering their unique personality and wiring we’ve noted throughout the years, we allow God to use us to train each child in a way that resonates with them throughout their years.
4. Psalm 127:3
“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.”
Fatherhood can be hard, like unwrapping a tightly packaged diamond. Nevertheless, like a gift, children are a wonderful treasure.
5. Matthew 19:14
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ ”
Dads, let’s recognize and remove ways we block our kids from experiencing more of Jesus. Let’s recognize and remove ways we block ourselves from being like a child to our Heavenly Father.
6. 3 John 1:4
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
Remember, just because we’re dads, doesn’t mean we’re not children. It makes our Heavenly Father smile to see you, your children, all his children living by His standards.
7. Matthew 18:1-3
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’ ”
As we lead our kids as dads, we can learn much from them on their complete dependency they have on us, and replicate the same in our lives towards Jesus.
8. Proverbs 29:17
“Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.”
It’s easy for dads to check out of discipline because it’s hard. What’s too much? What’s too little? But God wants us to do the work to figure it out and discipline them, rather than leave them to find their own way which leads to failure.
9. Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
This verse reminds me that though I’m the biological dad over my kids, they have a Heavenly Father who had plans for them before I even held them in my arms. Let’s surrender our plans for our kids to the Heavenly Father and what He may have for them.
10. Psalm 127: 4
“Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.”
Kids, in our hands, are like arrows that we can aim anywhere and achieve anything as you release them. With this verse, I always ask myself, “What does the bow and arm of my fatherhood look like and what direction am I sending the arrow of my children?” If I realize my strength is weak or my direction is pointed wrong, I ask God to give me strength and guide my arm as a father.
How can a Bible verse impact you?
There are too many variables in the fatherhood journey for us to think we can navigate it ourselves. We also should be careful with grabbing counterfeit maps on fatherhood that lead us in the wrong direction.
The only map that every father can rely on is the Bible, with Jesus as the GPS. Dive into Bible verses for parents and pour God’s wisdom into your children.
God illustrates perfect fatherhood all through the bible, showing us leadership, love, and safety. There will never be anybody better than our Heavenly Father to show us the way of fatherhood. Let’s lay down our pride to do fatherhood our way, and pull over to ask Jesus to guide us through the map of His living Word. In this way, we drive our entire family to the exact place we all need to be, in the arms of The Heavenly Father.
