Biblical Tips For Parenting

Proverbs 22:6 is a popular Bible verse about raising children:

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

６ 子供の時に正しい生き方を教えておけば、年をとってからも変わりません。

This verse can be interpreted 2 ways:

*Every child is different. So, you need to find out what methods of training will work for your child.

*If you start training your child when they are young, they will remember your training when they are old.

So, how can we train our children? The Bible has many verses and stories that we can use to help us raise our children. In this lesson, we will look at these verses.

1. Love and take care of your children. Treat your children the way you be treated. This is common sense, but many people fail to give their children love and basic necessities. It’s also important to love your children unconditionally. Children need to know that you will love them even when they make mistakes or disappoint you.

９パンをねだる子供に、石ころを与える父親がいるでしょうか。１０『魚が食べたい』と言う子供に、毒蛇を与える父親がいるでしょうか。いるわけがありません。１１罪深いあなたがたでさえ、自分の子供には良い物をやりたいと思うのです。だったらなおのこと、あなたがたの天の父が、求める者に良い物を下さらないことがあるでしょうか。１２人からしてほしいと思うことを、そのとおり、人にもしてあげなさい。これがモーセの法律の要約です。 天国への道は狭い (Matthew 7:9-12)

2. Love and take care of yourself and your marriage. This is common sense, too. If you have a negative self-image, you will probably pass that on to your children. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of your children. Also, it’s important to take care of yourself physically and financially so you won’t be a burden to your children as you get older.

１４今、私はあなたがたのところに行こうと、三度目の計画を立てています。今度も、あなたがたには負担をかけないつもりです。私がほしいのは、お金ではなく、あなたがた自身だからです。いずれにしても、あなたがたは私の子供です。小さな子供は親を食べさせる必要はありません。 その逆です。 親が子供を食べさせるのです。(2 Corinthians 12:14)

It’s also important to commit yourself to your marriage. God's plan for families is for a man to "leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife" and for the two of them to then "become one flesh." Within this sacred bond, the couple are to bring children into the world, raise them, and send them out for the process to repeat. Successful Christian parenting therefore begins with a committed Christian marriage.

２４人が両親のもとを離れて妻と結ばれ、二人が一体となるのは、こうした背景があるからです。(Genesis 2:24)
3. If you have more than one child, don’t have a favorite. We can learn this lesson from the stories about Isaac and his children and grandchildren. Isaac and his wife each had a favorite child. Then, Isaac’s son, Jacob, had a favorite child. This favoritism caused a lot of trouble for their families.

4. Enjoy your children and be involved in their lives.

２４２５神様を恐れる人の父親はしあわせ者、知恵のある子は父親の自慢の種です。 これ以上の親孝行はありません。 (Proverbs 23:24-25)

5. Teach your children lessons from the Bible.
１８そうなりたくなかったら、戒めをしっかり頭にたたき込みなさい。手に結び、額に張りつけるくらいにして絶えず思い出し、従いなさい。１９子供たちにも教えなさい。家に座っている時も、外を歩いている時も、寝る時も、朝食の前にも話して聞かせなさい。
(Deuteronomy 11:18-19)

6. Don’t be a hypocrite. Live the way you want your children to live. Set a good example for your children.

７子供にとっていちばんの遺産は、正直に生きることを教わることです。 (Proverbs 20:7)

7. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

３７ただ『はい、そうします』とか、『いいえ、そうしません』とだけ言いなさい。それで十分です。誓いを立てることで約束を信じてもらおうとするのは、悪いことです。(Matthew 5:37)

8. Encourage and affirm your children. Children benefit from honest and positive praise. Take advantage of every chance to honestly praise your children.

２９悪意あることばを口にしてはいけません。ただ相手に益となり、助けとなること、また、祝福を与えることだけを話しなさい。(Ephesians 4:29)

9. Don’t be afraid to discipline your children. There are a lot of Bible verses about discipline:

In these verses “the rod” is a figure of speech for any kind of discipline. In the Bible, parents are encouraged to discipline children so they won’t follow a path of self-destruction.

２４子供を懲らしめない親はその子を心から愛していないのです。愛している子なら罰するはずです。( Proverbs 13:24)

１８まだ望みのあるうちに子供を懲らしめなさい。放っておいて、その一生を台なしにしてはいけません。 (Proverbs 19:18)

１５子供は、しかられ懲らしめられることで、何が悪いことかを知るのです。わがままいっぱいに育てると、あとで母親が恥をかきます。 (Proverbs 29:15)

１７ 子供をきびしくしつければ、老後はしあわせに過ごせます。 (Proverbs 29:17)

No child (or adult) likes to be disciplined. As time passes, people reap benefits from discipline.

１１罰を受けた当初は、だれも気持ちがいいはずはなく、むしろ、傷つけられたと感じるものです。しかしあとになれば、それが自分の益となり、信仰の面でも、性格の面でも、プラスとなっていることが、わかるのです。 (Hebrews 12:11)

How should children be disciplined? There are many different opinions about discipline. Discipline should always be corrective and never be abusive. Here are some guidelines for you as you choose the best method of discipline for your child:

1. The punishment should always be given in love, never in anger.
2. The punishment should be fair.
3. The punishment should be consistent.
4. The child should always be told why they are being punished and how they can avoid being punished in the future.

４両親にもひとこと言っておきます。子供を、いつもがみがみしかりつけ、小言を並べ立てて、反抗心を起こさせたり、恨みをいだかせたりしてはいけません。かえって、主がお認めになる愛のこもった訓練と、助言や忠告を与えて育てなさい。 (Ephesians 6:4)

Summary:

Raising children is hard work!

It’s important to start early and work consistently to teach your children the proper way to behave.

If you start your work when children are young, you will enjoy many good years with your children.

Discussion Questions:

What are common ways children are disciplined in Japan?

Have the methods of discipline changed in recent years?

How much are parents involved in their children’s activities in Japan?

Do you know a child who has been “left to himself”? What was the result of this?