Parenting in Light of the Great Commission

When I had my first daughter, I thought the hardest part of motherhood would be labor. Then, I thought it would be breastfeeding. Afterward, I thought it was the endless tantrums of the “terrible twos.” But the hardest job during these four years of motherhood has been the intense struggle to remember the gospel every day and to teach it, both in words and deeds, to my two daughters.

The Goal of Every Christian Parent

As Christians, we are often eager to preach to the world outside our homes. After all, Jesus told us to go into the world and preach the gospel, right? But if we are parents, our first ministry is our home. God said it in Deuteronomy when he first gave his commandments to the people of Israel:

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. – Deuteronomy 6:6–9

How beautiful it sounds to live a life surrounded by reminders of God’s Word at every moment and in every place of our family life. But when I look at my life, how often do I forget my most important mission as a mother amid the daily monotony, lack of sleep, and piles of laundry?

Christian parents are raising the next generation of disciples—those who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, will go into the world to preach the gospel to all nations. Our mission is to raise them with a lifestyle centered on the Word. 

Although we aren’t promised that all our children will become genuine Christians, it is still our duty to plant and water the seed for God to make it grow. Our mission as parents is not only to meet their needs and care for them as they grow, but also to be instruments in God’s hands to guide them to be the next generation who loves and serves him.

“Successful parenting is not about achieving goals (which you don’t have the power to produce) but being a faithful and useful tool in the hands of the One who is the only one who can produce good fruit in our children.” – Paul David Tripp

Starting with My Heart

Deuteronomy 6:6–9 not only reminds me of the importance of teaching God’s Word to my children but also my deep need for Christ in order to fulfill my role as a mother. I must be saturated with him everywhere: “…when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way.” At all times: “…when you lie down and when you rise.” And also to carry his marks in me and my home: “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand… write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” That way, my heart won’t forget his goodness in the midst of the hard work of motherhood.

Actions speak louder than words. Therefore, being in the presence of God and remembering his Word at all times will result in raising my children saturated with the Word, impacting them long-term for the kingdom of heaven.

Practical Applications

So, how can I teach my children about Christ if they are still very young? Here are some practices I apply with my little girls:

• Teach them to pray as soon as they begin to talk.
• Involve them in church activities—they’re part of it too!

• Use time in the car to listen together to music filled with biblical lyrics. I’m amazed at how many songs my 4-year-old knows just from listening to them in the car.
• Use every moment of discipline to point them toward the gospel.
• Pray for their souls with them during moments of discipline.
• Spend time in God’s creation and use those moments to tell them about him (e.g., “Do you know who made the stars? God! And why did he create them? For his glory!”).
• Use bedtime to memorize a verse. You can memorize one or two for each year of their age, and as time passes, they will learn many verses.

Establishing daily rhythms from praying together as a family to family devotions are just small ways to share the gospel with your children that can have an everlasting impact for the Kingdom. Remember that parenting is a platform to display the glory of God through everyday faithfulness.