What are my responsibilities to my family?
Deuteronomy 6:6-7“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”
Proverbs 22:6Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.
Matthew 19:13-15One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.
Ephesians 6:4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
Parents have a responsibility to give their children spiritual training. Many parents feel unqualified for teaching God’s Word, so they count on Sunday school, youth group, and sermons to train their children. While all of these things are good, and our believing communities are essential to our walk with Christ, parents have a far greater influence on their children than the church. Even if a pastor or other teacher seems more qualified, your children aren’t living with and watching your pastor on a daily basis. When your children see you living out your faith—not just on Sunday—you will inspire them to build a relationship with God themselves.
John 3:16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
We should clearly explain to our children how they can receive salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Exodus 10:2“I’ve also done it so you can tell your children and grandchildren about how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and about the signs I displayed among them—and so you will know that I am the Lord.”
2 Timothy 1:5I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.
We should share spiritual experiences—stories of how God has worked in our lives—and remind our families of their spiritual heritage. As powerful as God’s work in Scripture is, there is something special about hearing someone’s firsthand experience of God’s goodness.
Proverbs 31:27She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
1 Timothy 5:8Those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
We should watch over our children and work to provide and care for them. A couple with children has taken on a profound responsibility to take care of their physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs. Until our children are grown, their needs take precedence over our own.
1 Samuel 3:13“I [the Lord] have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them.”
1 Kings 1:6Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, “Why are you doing that?” Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome.
Proverbs 3:11-12My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
Proverbs 29:15To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.
Hebrews 12:10-11Our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
We should discipline our children. Discipline is not enjoyable—either for the one receiving it or the one giving it. We can be tempted to avoid discipline because of the pain and even conflict that comes with it. Discipline, however, is a sign of love. Parents who discipline their children care more for their children’s well-being and character than they care about their children’s immediate approval. Over time, discipline confronts harmful habits and strengthens godly ones, leading to healthier, happier lives.
Ephesians 6:4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.
We should remember that the responsibility to discipline is not a license to tyrannize our children. Parents are called to train and discipline but not to control. If children aren’t given freedom to make decisions—and even mistakes—then they may fail to develop the strength of character they need to make their faith their own.
1 Peter 3:8Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.
We should exemplify Christ’s love and extend mercy to one another. Just as God keeps loving and showing us mercy, even when we don’t deserve it, we are called to model that same care to our families, even when they don’t deserve it. Loving unconditionally, even when we are not shown love in return, is sometimes the only way to restore damaged relationships.
1 Timothy 5:8Those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
We should care for our families. Caring for our families, including extended family, is a basic Christian responsibility.
Ephesians 5:25-26For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.
Ephesians 6:1-4Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.
Titus 2:4-5These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.
We should honor the members of our families. Honoring our family is one the pathways to receiving God’s promises. Husbands and wives are called to love and respect one another, putting each other’s needs above their own. Parents are entrusted to teach their children to walk in God’s ways and to discipline in love. Children are to respond with respect and obedience. When these happen, good things follow.
