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Parenting Is Discipleship, Not Just Management
By Rev. Justin Wyckoff
If you are a parent, you know the daily grind well. Packing lunches. Reminding kids to brush their teeth. Driving to practices. Helping with homework. Breaking up sibling fights. Setting limits on screens. There are days when it feels like your main job is simply to keep everyone alive and get them where they need to be on time.
In the middle of that chaos, it is easy to forget that God has called you to something deeper than management. Parenting, in Scripture, is a form of discipleship. Deuteronomy 6 gives a beautiful picture: parents are to talk with their children about the Lord as they sit at home, walk along the road, lie down at night, and rise in the morning. In other words, discipleship is not one more activity to squeeze into your schedule. It is a way of doing life together.
Seeing parenting as discipleship changes how we think about our role. You are not just raising kids. You are raising future adults who will either walk with Jesus or walk away. That is both sobering and incredibly hopeful. It also means that you, not the church, are the primary spiritual influence in your child’s life. The Crossings is here to support and equip you. We love your kids. But we see them for a few hours a week. You see them in hundreds of ordinary moments.
So how do you disciple your children in the real world you are actually living in?
First, start with simple, sustainable rhythms. You do not have to hold a long family worship service every night. In fact, if you try to start there, you will likely burn out quickly. Instead, pick one or two small habits. Read a short Scripture at dinner and ask one question. Pray a simple prayer with your kids before school. Speak a brief blessing over them at bedtime. Over time, these small rhythms shape hearts.
Second, use everyday moments. When your child is worried about a test, remind them that God cares for their anxieties and invite them to pray about it. When you see a beautiful sky over Brunswick, say, “Look at what God made.” When siblings argue, talk about forgiveness and reconciliation. When they fail, remind them of grace. Discipleship happens in minivans, grocery stores, backyards, and ball fields.
Third, model what you hope to see. Your kids are watching how you respond to stress, disappointment, and conflict. They notice whether your faith is only a Sunday thing or if it shows up on Tuesday night when the day fell apart. They see how you talk about other
people when they are not around. One of the most powerful discipleship tools you have is your own example.
Of course, you will not do this perfectly. None of us do. You will lose your temper. You will make poor decisions. You will miss opportunities. The good news is that your children do not need a flawless parent. They need a repentant parent who keeps coming back to Jesus. When you blow it, own it. Ask for their forgiveness. Tell them, “Mommy or Daddy needs Jesus just as much as you do.”
At The Crossings, we want to stand beside you in this calling. We do not come as experts with all the answers, but as fellow strugglers who believe that God delights in using ordinary parents, in ordinary homes, to shape children into men and women who love Him. |
