Biblical Parenthood
As I write this article, Kenzie and I have yet to meet our son, Canon. He seems to be in no hurry, but Kenzie is very ready to get a bit of physical separation from him. If you’re reading this article, then you likely know much more information than I do. You may know when Canon was born, what he looks like, and how he and Kenzie are doing. The version of me you are reading in this article—an historical version trapped in a particular moment in time—does not have the luxury of knowing what you know.
This version of me, though, is on the precipice of parenthood. And as someone who has spent a lot of time contemplating biblical parenthood recently, I have decided to put a few of my thoughts to paper in this article. Don’t worry—I’m not arrogant enough to believe every other parent is doing things incorrectly and that Kenzie and I, as soon-to-be parents, have everything figured out. This article isn’t a “how to.” Instead, I want to drive home one biblical point: the goal of parenthood is to raise a child to know and love Jesus.
I have goals for Canon. I want him to be a reader. I want him to be athletic. I want him to acquire some measure of musical skill. But Canon could achieve none of those goals, and Kenzie and I could still prove faithful as biblical parents. The goal of parenthood isn’t to develop a well-read, athletic, musical, civic-minded, hardworking, financially literate, fun-to-be-around adult. The goal of parenthood is to raise a child to know and love Jesus (Ephesians 6:1-4).
That is incredibly freeing, since it relieves much of the pressure parents put on themselves. But it’s also terrifying, since Kenzie and I need the power of the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ to our child through us. Our marriage will paint a picture of the gospel to our child, and we need the Spirit in our marriage to paint that picture well. Our love for our child, our discipline, our commitments—basically every decision we make as parents will make Christ either enticing or malodorous to our child. We need God’s Spirit to raise Canon in Christ.
And not only do we need the Holy Spirit in us to raise our son—we need the Holy Spirit in you. As our local church, we need you to use your Spirit-empowered gifts and abilities to help us (and all the other parents) raise our children in the Lord. So many pastors’ kids leave Christianity because their parents and their local churches painted a poor picture of Jesus for them. I don’t want that to be Canon—or any other child. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to empower us and guide us as we shape the next generation.
In Christ,
Pastor Britton