Through The Bible in a Year - October 13, 2026

“Honor your father and mother... Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:2, 4

The instructions in this passage are addressed to parents — not to daycare, not to grandparents, not to teachers, coaches, or youth leaders. Those people can be genuine gifts, part of the wider body of Christ helping to raise a child, but Scripture places the primary, eternal responsibility for a child's heart on the parents themselves. There is no biblical stopwatch measuring exactly how many hours parents must be “present” each day — but there is a clear expectation that parents order their lives so as to be the primary influencers of their children’s growth in godliness.

That influence may be costly. One couple in our church, both highly trained professionals with high incomes, realized they were coming home each night too exhausted to give their children real attention. They chose to restructure their careers and their spending around family priorities, accepting a smaller income and a smaller home to be attentive and “present” in their children’s lives. Years later, their grown children reflected on how their parents’ choices provided a beautiful, settled faith as the context for their childhood and the priorities for their own faith and families. The sacrifice was not wasted. Parents who exhibited God’s grace in their priorities, passed on God’s grace to generations that followed.

The instruction that the Apostle Paul gives to parents is addressed specifically to fathers, underscoring the instruction’s importance by giving it to those accountable for spiritual headship in the home. This does not mean that mothers are exempt from such care. Children who are precious to God must be seen as such and treated as such by each parent.

RESPOND: Where in your current schedule or spending would someone conclude that children are, or are not, a genuine priority for you?

Is there a specific choice — relating to income, schedule, or activities — that you sense God may be calling you to reconsider for the sake of your presence and influence with your children? Consider if there is a recurring block of time (a meal, a bedtime, a commute) you could reclaim for some unhurried presence with your child that could be God’s means of shaping his or her heart forever.

PRAYER: Lord, You have entrusted the eternal nurture of my children primarily to me, not to substitutes. Give me courage to make the hard choices that presence requires, and forgive me for the times I have let lesser priorities crowd out this one. As I have received your grace, help me to be the parent You intend to pass on your grace to those that I love and that you have given me to nurture in Christ’s love. In Jesus' name, amen.