What Does The Bible Say About Child Rearing Based On The Book Of Proverbs?

Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons

The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom. Though it is written thousands of years ago, the advice found in the book is timeless and still applicable in our lives today. Child rearing is truly a very important subject to discuss and God did not leave us clueless on this vital topic. God loves us and created us. He perfectly knows what works and what is not. If we try to figure out how to raise our children by ourselves, there is a good chance that we will utterly fail. For this reason, I want to share with you some of the passages found in the book of Proverbs pertaining to child rearing.

Proverbs 23:13-14

“Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, and deliver his soul from hell.”

Today, most so-called “experts” in child rearing says that corporal punishment is not good for children. They say, “Don’t beat a child, it will damage his self-esteem” and then we wonder why this society is full of undisciplined adults. God is very clear that punishing a child with the right amount of discipline is necessary to correct wrong behavior. Spanking a child will never kill him, but instead will save him from trouble and even death. A child deprived of discipline will ultimately commit sin leading to sin worthy of hell.

Proverbs 22:6

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

We all know that the best time to discipline a child is when he is still young. Parents should start disciplining their children as soon as possible. How the child is raised will affect how that child will behave in the future. When a child is disciplined early enough in his life, when he is old, he will remember those values and lessons instilled in his heart and mind.

Proverbs 20:7

“The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.”

Child rearing HEAVILY depends upon the parents. If the parents don’t have the moral principles and godly education, it will be difficult to discipline children according to God’s will. However, parents who walk in integrity will set the right example for their children. They become a good role model in which the children can look up to. So before a parent should properly discipline their children, THEY MUST DISCIPLINE THEIR SELVES first.

Other verses in Proverbs related to child rearing

Proverbs 10:1, 5 “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother… He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.”

Proverbs 11:29 “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.”

Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”

Proverbs 15:20 “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.”

Proverbs 17:6, 21, 25 “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers… He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy… A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.”

Proverbs 19:13, 18, 26 “A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping… Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying… He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.”

Proverbs 20:11 “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”

Proverbs 23:15-16, 22, 24-25 “My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.”

Proverbs 27:11 “My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.”

Proverbs 28:7, 24 “Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father. Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.”

Proverbs 29:3, 15, 17 “Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance. The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”

Proverbs 30:17The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.”

Proverbs 31:26-28 “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”

 

Additional reading:

Child Rearing: Building the Right Foundation

Seven Points of Child Rearing

How to Raise Good Children in a Bad World

FREE booklet:

Marriage and Family: The Missing Dimension

 

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