In Psalms
127:3 the Bible says, "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is His reward " Jacob once referred to his
offspring as: "The children that God has graciously given me... "
(Genesis 33:5). Great happiness comes when God allows us to bear
children (Psalm 127:4-5).
The Bible
says that parents are to provide for their children (1 Timothy 5:8; 2
Corinthians 12:14). The Bible says that parents are to give their
children spiritual training and guidance (Proverbs 22:6; Genesis 18:19;
Exodus 10:2; Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 3:15; Isaiah 38:19). The Bible
says that parents must correctively discipline their children (Proverbs
3:12; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15,17; Hebrews 12:3-11).
While
training and molding a child a parent must not be so extreme as to abuse
or excessively cause grief in the child (Colossians 3:21). In 1
Thessalonians 2:11, the Bible says, "... we exhorted, and comforted, and
charged every one of you, as a father does his own children. " There is,
then, a balance as parents mix harshness with warmth and love in the
rearing of a child.
The Bible
says that a parent must not show partiality or favoritism between
children (Genesis 25:28: 27:6-17). Favoritism comes from a selfish
heart. If a mother or father truly and unselfishly want what is best for
each child there can be no favoritism shown (1 Kings 3:22-28).
The Bible
says that it is possible for us to be "religious" and still have
children that become ungodly and sinful before God. In I Samuel 2:12,
the Bible says,