The bible states that children are a heritage from God, given to parents by God for them to steward. God sustains children, having known them intimately in their mother’s womb and knitted them together. Healthy children have a healthy family unit where both parents work together to build up the future of their child, and to grow them up in the way of God.

If we don’t disciple our children, the world will. In the Old Testament, Jewish children were taught the Shema through repetition, which states that Adonai is God and Adonai is one. This command gets transferred to the New Testament for parents to teach their children about Jesus. We are to disciple our kids to know that Jesus is king, and discipline them to remind them that they are not king. Discipline should not be done out of anger, or to belittle a child, but only for the child’s safety and security, to mirror God’s discipline of us to make us more like Jesus. Discipline is an act of grace, and need not always be physical.

God’s grace helps us to discipline and disciple our children, as he continues to disciple and discipline us to become his own sons and daughters. The kingdom of God belongs to those who approach like children.