Every parent wants to raise godly, grounded children, but you can’t give what you don’t have. This post reminds parents that spiritual nourishment begins with you. Before you feed your child, make sure your own spirit is full. Your example becomes their foundation.
I once visited a friend, and while I was in her house, her baby began to cry. At that moment, she was in the kitchen preparing food for herself. Out of concern, I asked, “Won’t you go and attend to your baby first?”
But she said something I didn’t understand at first:
“I have to eat first before I feed my baby.”
I kept reminding her because the baby was still crying, but she calmly replied,
“I’m not wicked to my baby. I’m only trying to help myself, because without eating, I cannot feed my baby. The milk won’t come out if I haven’t eaten.”
That statement stayed with me. It taught me a big lesson.
Later, as I reflected, I realized something profound, God’s Word is also food.
The Bible says,
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
In the same way, a parent must be nourished with the Word of God before they can nourish their child spiritually.
You cannot give what you don’t have.
You must feed yourself before you can feed your child.
So the big question is: What have you been feeding on?
Because what you feed on determines what your child will eventually feed on.
The Bible says,
“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” (Colossians 3:16)
That means, as parents, we must let God’s Word fill our hearts daily. Parenting begins with personal growth.
Filling up a child is vital, but it starts with a parent who takes responsibility to be word-loaded.
Even if you’re not perfect or naturally godly, start somewhere. Let your children see you reading your Bible, praying, or speaking faith. Even if it feels like you’re pretending at first, keep doing it. Because what they see, they will imitate.
A Personal Example
I remember when I was younger, my mom would pray almost every night. You’d see her burning the midnight candle, praying earnestly in the quiet hours. She never told me to do that. She never sat me down to instruct me, saying, “You have to pray.” But guess what? I grew up loving it. I grew up doing what I saw her do.
Just like my father too, he loved reading the Bible quietly at night, using a small table lamp. He didn’t command me to do the same, but I found myself following in his footsteps.
They both fed themselves with the Word, and because of that, it was easy for me to be nourished.
They gave me what they already had, a living example of faith.
And that’s what parenting is all about.
That’s what godly parenting truly means.
Children learn more by what they see than by what they hear. When parents feed on the Word, their children will naturally grow hungry for it too.
So remember:
- A nourished parent raises a nourished child.
- A Word-filled heart produces a Word-filled home.
A Deeper Scripture Reflection: Spiritual Maturity
This same truth is echoed sharply in Hebrews:
“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God.” (Hebrews 5:12)
By the time many parents have children, they ought to have grown enough in their walk with God to be teachers, able to instruct their own children in the faith. Instead, some find themselves needing to be taught the basic elements of God’s Word all over again. Spiritual growth was paused somewhere along the way.
This is why Peter’s instruction matters so much:
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” (1 Peter 2:2)
Craving the milk of the Word is right and good, for a new believer. But that craving is meant to lead somewhere: growth. Remaining an infant in the faith long after we should have matured is not humility; it’s stagnation. And a parent who has stopped growing has little to hand down. This is the heart of feeding yourself first, not just to have a snack of faith, but to actually grow up in it, so that when your child looks to you, they find a teacher and not just another infant needing milk.
Feed yourself, so you can feed your child.
Remain Ever Blessed.
