In Genesis 18:19, God made a powerful statement about Abraham:
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord…”
This was not a casual comment; God was testifying of Abraham’s parenting.
Abraham received God’s approval because he took responsibility for raising his household in the fear of God. He didn’t just love his children, he trained them.
So let’s reflect today:
If God examined your parenting, mentoring, or guidance:
Would He find:
Consistency?
Prayer?
Discipline with love?
Patience?
Example, not just instruction?
Or would He find:
Neglect?
Outsourcing parenting to schools and churches?
Silent hopes but no intentional training?
The Honest Question
On a scale of 1–10, how are you raising the children God placed in your care?
Not just feeding them. Not just clothing them. But forming their hearts.
You may not be a biological parent yet. You may be a teacher, youth leader, aunt, uncle, or mentor.
Still, the question stands.
Because every child around you is learning something from you.
A Gentle Call to Refocus
Growth begins with honesty.
Where you are is not where you have to remain.
Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen your:
Consistency
Patience
Discipline
Example
Prayer life
Because the destiny of a child is shaped one seed at a time.
Reflection Question
On a scale of 1–10, how are you doing? Let your answer lead you to growth, not guilt.
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.
Discover a powerful lesson on godly parenting, why you must first be spiritually nourished before you can effectively nourish your children. Learn how your walk with God shapes the faith of your child.
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 mty 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.
One day, I visited my sister’s house. Her daughter, my little niece, had done something that upset me.
Out of reflex, I raised my voice at her.
Almost immediately, I knew I had gone too far. I saw the worry in her eyes, not fear, but confusion.
Later that day, I went back to her, gently called her name, and said, “Tofumi, I’m sorry. What you did was wrong, but I shouldn’t have yelled.”
She looked surprised.
Then she said something that stopped me in my tracks: My mummy never says sorry even when she’s wrong.
Every apology plants a seed of grace in a young heart.
That moment humbled me deeply. I realized that children watch how we handle our own faults, not just theirs.
That little moment between us became a mirror, showing me that parenting isn’t just about correcting a child; it’s about modeling humility.
When I told my niece, “I’m sorry,” I didn’t realize I was teaching her something far more powerful than words, that love, humility, and grace begin with example.
The Lesson Behind the Story
Sometimes, we think we teach best when we correct.
But I’ve learned that the most powerful lessons children learn are not through correction, but through our humility.
That day, my niece looked at me with surprise.
She wasn’t used to hearing an adult say, “I’m sorry.”
Earlier, I had reacted too sharply. The Holy Spirit gently nudged my heart: Go and make it right.
So, I did. I went back, looked into her eyes, and said softly, “I’m sorry.”
Her expression changed.
It wasn’t just a child hearing an apology; it was a young heart witnessing humility.
And in that moment, I realized, I wasn’t only making peace, I was modeling grace.
The Parenting Lesson
Parents, teachers, and mentors, saying “I’m sorry” doesn’t make you weak.
It makes you Christlike. It teaches a child that even adults can admit when they’re wrong, and that’s where love grows.
Children don’t just listen to our instructions; they imitate our examples.
When they see humility in us, they learn empathy, forgiveness, and strength.
If you’ve ever reacted too harshly or spoken too soon, remember this: Your humility can heal what your authority wounded.
Reflection
What is your child, or the young ones around you, learning from your example today? Pride or grace?
Scripture Meditation
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
Authority that humbles itself reflects the heart of Christ.
Call to Salvation
True humility begins with Christ.
If you haven’t yet surrendered your heart to Him, today is the best day to say, “Lord, I’m sorry. Come into my life.”
He is ever ready to forgive, restore, and teach us to love like Him.
As Nigeria Celebrates Freedom, What Legacy Are You Building?
Today, as the air fills with echoes of “Arise, O Compatriots,” I’m reminded that our greatest national resource isn’t oil or agriculture, it’s our children.
The same determination that fueled our founding fathers must now fuel our parenting. We’re raising Nigeria’s next generation of leaders, innovators, and world-changers, and it starts in our homes.
3 Foundational Principles for Raising Godly Nigerian Children
Root Them in Identity (God’s Word + Nigerian Heritage)
Our children need to know they’re:
· Fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:14) · Part of Nigeria’s redemptive story · Called to be light in our nation
We fill our shelves with books. We save countless Instagram posts. We search for the perfect method, the one key that will unlock peaceful, effective, and godly parenting.
But what if the most powerful parenting guide wasn’t a static set of rules, but a living, breathing source of wisdom that adapts to every unique challenge?
The writer of Hebrews gives us a breathtaking description of the tool we often overlook:
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
This isn’t a description of a dusty reference book. This is the profile of the ultimate parenting resource.
Why a “Living” Word Makes All the Difference
Unlike any best-selling parenting book, God’s Word possesses three dynamic qualities that make it uniquely suited for the complex task of raising children.
It’s ALIVE: The Personalized Parenting Guide
A printed book gives the same advice to every reader. But God’s Word is alive. It breathes fresh, specific wisdom for your child, in your situation, at this exact moment.
· When you’re facing a tantrum, it can bring to mind the perfect verse about patience (Ephesians 4:2). · When your child lies, it can guide you to a story about honesty (Acts 5:1-11) and the restoration that follows confession. · When you feel inadequate, it whispers the promise that His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).
It doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution because it knows the unique heart of your child, and you.
It’s ACTIVE: The Heart-Transforming Agent
Human parenting strategies often focus on modifying outward behavior. God’s Word goes deeper. It is active, meaning it doesn’t just inform; it transforms from the inside out.
It works in your child’s spirit long after you’ve closed the Bible. A simple verse about kindness, planted in their heart during a calm moment, can become the Holy Spirit’s tool to convict them after they’ve been cruel to a sibling. It does the work we cannot.
It’s SURGICALLY PRECISE: The Ultimate Diagnostic Tool
Parenting often involves guessing: “Is this a willful spirit or a wounded soul? Is this a phase or a character issue?”
The Word of God is “sharper than any double-edged sword.” It performs spiritual surgery, precisely dividing soul (the mind, will, and emotions) from spirit (the part that connects with God). It can judge the “thoughts and attitudes of the heart,” revealing the true root of the behavior, whether it’s fear, pride, or a simple need for connection.
Your Move: From Static Strategies to Dynamic Truth
So, how do we trade our dependence on static methods for this dynamic resource?
Your challenge is simple but powerful: The Next-Time Principle.
The next time you face a parenting struggle, defiance, back-talk, fear, sibling rivalry, make a conscious choice.
Pause before you react.
Trade 10 minutes of frantic scrolling for 5 minutes in Scripture.
Ask: “Holy Spirit, what truth from Your Word applies to this situation?”
Open the Bible, use a concordance, or search a keyword in a Bible app. Look for a story, a proverb, or a teaching of Jesus that speaks to the heart of the matter.
The Promise of the Living Word
Your role as a godly parent is not to have all the answers. It is to be the faithful assistant to the Great Physician, handing Him the one tool, His Word, that can perform the heart-level surgery your child needs.
Stop relying on manuals that collect dust. Start leaning on the Word that is alive, active, and sharper than any tool you will ever own. It is fully equipped to handle any situation, for it is the very voice of the One who created your child’s heart.
Let’s Connect: What’s ONE situation where you need the’alive and active’ power of God’s Word this week?
Share in the comments on my latest LinkedIn post, let’s cover each other’s children in prayer.
