6 Ways Christian Fathers Can Raise Godly Children

The Apostle Paul tells us, "Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged" (Colossians 3:21). As Paul says in this passage, fathers do not need to embitter their children. With time, your children will become more distant from you and might completely shut you out of their lives.

Growing up, I was often embittered by my dad because he never showed an interest in my life. This made me feel terrible about myself, which manifested in all sorts of problems. I still become depressed and angry whenever my dad hurts me, says a careless word, or puts me down when I am only trying my best. Fathers, ensure you are intentional in not embittering your children. Embittering your children will tear them down and cause them to question their worth.

Instead of embittering your children, choose to love them. Build your children up in the Lord and help them to know their best is more than enough. Your children will need your support, help, and encouragement as their father. You will not be able to offer these vital qualities if you hurt and tear them down. Choose to be intentional in building your children up and encouraging them in everything they do.

The exact opposite of embittering your children is to love them. Yet again, I never truly experienced the love of a father as a child or a teen because I was always seen as a burden. Instead of being seen as a blessing, I was seen as a nuisance or a bother. Christian fathers need to make sure they never make their children feel like a burden, a nuisance, or a bother. Instead, they need to help their children to feel loved and cared about.

To do this, you need to love them. It should be a rite of passage, yet many fathers have a hard time loving their children. If this is a struggle for you, ask the Lord to help you and He will be faithful to answer your prayers. Choose to love your children, be involved in their lives, and show interest in their daily activities. Loving your children shouldn't be a chore; they are your own flesh and blood.

By loving your children, you will help them grow up feeling loved, known, and important. This, in turn, will help your children have a better self-view and more confidence in themselves. They will be aware of the love of a father, and they will be happier individuals, which will help them to love others. Ultimately, this will help them become godly people because they will love others with the same love they have been shown.

In addition to loving your children, you need to love your wife. This will help raise your children to be godly because they will see how well you treat their mother. Dads who treat their wives badly have a habit of rubbing off on their own sons and daughters. As their kids grow up, they will begin to treat their own significant other in this way. It goes without saying that these types of actions do not bring glory to God.

If you love your wife as Jesus loves the church, it will help your children know what real love looks like (Ephesians 5:22-33). The love between a husband and a wife is supposed to be rooted in respect, kindness, and faithfulness. If you biblically love your wife, your children will take notice, grow up with more positive views of marriage, and know what a godly marriage is supposed to be. Even if it doesn't sink in with your children right away, it will lay a foundation for their own godly relationships in the future.

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Our children will not be able to be raised to be godly people if their fathers are not showing devotion to God in their own lives. If you are not showing your faithfulness to God in your life, your children will take notice of this and choose to turn away from God, too. The truth is that if we are not being faithful and devoted to God, then our children will think God doesn't mean anything to us. Instead of doing this, we need to show our devotion to God in our daily life.

We cannot be one person during church hours and another person every other day of the week. Showing devotion to God in our life looks like following God, extending His love in our actions, and being active in Bible reading and prayer. Your children will begin to be interested in the way you live, your kindness, and your interest in spending time with God. If they ask you about these things, help them to know about your love for God and how you are entirely devoted to Him.

If your children become interested in learning about God, you can talk with them about Him directly. However, even if your children are not interested in God right now, you still need to talk regularly about God and instruct them in the Lord. Talking about God regularly will lay a foundation for your Christian household and help God be spoken of without being a taboo subject. Sadly, even within many Christian homes, God is not spoken of apart from church.

You can make this change by talking about God daily with your children. This combined with instructing your children in the Lord can help them to grow into godly people. Instructing your children in the Lord looks like reading the Bible to them, asking them about their thoughts concerning God, and correcting your children whenever they are following after sin. While discipline is generally seen as a "bad word," discipline is important in order to raise godly children.

Physical discipline, such as beating your children or hurting your children in any way is not acceptable. This is not biblical discipline. Instead of being physical or yelling at them, you need to be kind, compassionate, and respectful when disciplining them. Help them know the severity of their actions and the consequences of their bad actions by showing them the pain they have caused to others. Discipline is needed, but it should never be done brutally, physically, or hurtfully.

Raising godly children as a Christian father can also be done by having family Bible time. Try to include your children and your wife in family Bible time. Having family Bible time each morning or evening can help your children learn about God. This will help your children grow to become godly individuals because they will soon learn what God calls them to do. The Bible teaches us that we are to love others, to be kind, and to treat others fairly. When children know this and see their parents doing the same, they will want to be like their parents and please God.

With time, your children will begin to want to read the Bible on their own and learn even more about God. Support their growing interest in God and answer their questions about Him. Your children will grow to become godly the more time they spend with Him in His Word and in prayer. You can model prayer for your children by praying together and teaching them how to pray on their own.

Raising children to be godly will take time, and as Christian fathers, you have a crucial responsibility to help them know their Heavenly Father, His love for them, and how He wants them to follow Him. Share the Gospel with them and help them to learn about Jesus. Children will not become godly apart from knowing the Lord. Encourage your children, build them up, and lead by example. Lean on God when you need help and find encouragement through His Word.