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Marriage and Family Life: The ParentingYears

Whatisgodly,Christianparenting?

Afterexaminingvarioussociological

theories,canwefindadifferencebetween

thesetheoriesofparentingandChristian

parenting?Theanswerisyesandno.The

biblicalfoundationsforparentingsupport

thesociologicalprinciplesofgood

parenting.

Despitethehumor(nottomention

casualtheology)inSidebar7.5,parentscan

findsomereassuranceinthisfiction.Ifthey

havepersistentlyandlovinglytriedtoraise

theirchildrenwisely,butthechildrenhave

chosenadifferentway,theparentsshould

notbehardonthemselves.

Therealityis,evenouromniscient,

omnipotent,infinitelygoodandlovingGod

wassocommittedtoHischildrenhaving

thechoicetoobeyornotobeythatHe

allowedthemtochooseeventhewayof

separationfromHim.Eventhoughit

meantthatwiththeirchoicewouldcome

deathanddestruction,Godwouldnot

makethemobey.So,howrealisticisit,and

moretothepoint,howrightisit,for

humanparentstothinktheycanultimately

controltheirchildren’sdestinies?Eventhe

bestparent,God,hadchildrenwho

rebelled—andatthetime,thosechildren

wereeveninnocentofsin.So,ifGodhad

troubleraisingchildren,whatmakes

parentsthinkitwillbeaseasyasaformula?

Parenting and the Attributes of God

By looking at the attributes of God as

parent,we can better understand our

Christian responsibility as parents.The

goal of Christian parents is to help their

A Christian Perspective

SIDEBAR7.5
God as Parent

After creating the heavens and earth and all the
livingthings,GodcreatedAdamandEve.Andthe
first thing God said was“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”Adam asked.
“Don’t eat the forbidden fruit,”God replied.
“Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit?
Hey,Eve,we have forbidden fruit!”
“No way!”Eve exclaimed.
“Yes,way!”Adam asserted.
“Donoteat the fruit!”God repeated.
“Why not?”
“BecauseIamyourFatherandIsaidso!”God
replied,wonderingwhyhehadnotstoppedcreating
when he finished the elephants.
A few minutes later, God saw his children
having an apple break and was he ever ticked!
“Didn’t I tell younotto eat the fruit?” God
asked in bewilderment.
“Uh-huh,”Adam replied.
“Then why didn’t you obey me?” demanded
the Father.
“I don’t know,”Eve said,shrugging.
“She started it!”Adam whined.
“Did not!”
“Did too!”
“DID NOT!”
Having had it with the two of them, God’s
punishmentwasthatAdamandEveshouldhave
children of their own. Thus, the pattern was set
and it has never changed!
Source:Unknown