Parenthood

Jacob Chen ZheJune 1, 2025

Is Having Children a Blessing or a Burden?

That’s a question many young couples are asking—and even those who already have children may find themselves wondering the same. Parenthood is one of the most challenging callings modern people face. It often feels like something beyond our control. We are puzzled by our children’s behavior, and when we labor to raise them in the right way, the work can leave us physically and emotionally drained. Worse still, our efforts may seem to bear little fruit.

Yet the Bible is crystal clear: having children is a blessing—a gracious gift from God, a heritage, a reward. However, children don’t become a blessing overnight. Bible says they only become a blessing through faithful instruction in the way of the Lord, and through loving discipline, guided by both righteousness and mercy. This is no easy task.

Parenting is a training ground. It exposes our weaknesses and becomes the very place where God meets us and refines us. As we instruct and discipline our children, our Heavenly Father is doing the same in us—teaching, correcting, and shaping us into His likeness.

In the end, we are called to model God, the very first parent in human history. He is not a distant Creator; He formed mankind intimately, breathing His Spirit into our nostrils and shaping us in His own image. He loves His children deeply and longs to show them compassion—just like the father in the parable of the prodigal son. God is the perfect parent, and He is the one we are to follow.

Children are a blessing

Genesis 33:5

5He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”

Deuteronomy 7:13

13He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your livestock and the young of your flock, in the land which he swore to your fathers to give you.

Psalm 127:3-5

3Behold, children are a heritage of the LORD. The fruit of the womb is his reward. 4As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth. 5Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

Proverbs 17:6

6Children’s children are the crown of old men; the glory of children is their parents.

Parents are to instruct children

Genesis 18:19

19For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

6These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; 7and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19

18Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. 19You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Psalm 78:4-7

4We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done. 5For he established a covenant in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; 6that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children, 7that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments,

Proverbs 22:6

6Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

2 Timothy 1:5

5Having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, in you also.

Proverbs 1:8-9

8My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching; 9for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

Parents are to discipline children with love

Proverbs 13:24

24One who spares the rod hates his son, but one who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Proverbs 29:15

15The rod of correction gives wisdom, but a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.

Proverbs 19:18

18Discipline your son, for there is hope; don’t be a willing party to his death.

Proverbs 29:17

17Correct your son, and he will give you peace; yes, he will bring delight to your soul.

Proverbs 22:15

15Folly is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Proverbs 23:13-14

13Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die. 14Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol.

Ephesians 6:4

4You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21

21Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged.

Parents are to model God

Genesis 2:7

7The LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Ephesians 3:14-15

14For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Matthew 7:9-11

9Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? 11If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Hebrews 12:4-11

4You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin. 5You have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, “My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him; 6for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline? 8But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not children. 9Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they indeed for a few days disciplined us as seemed good to them, but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. 11All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Psalm 103:13

13Like a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

Matthew 5:48

48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Encouragement to the exhausting parents

Galatians 6:9

9Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season if we don’t give up.

Hebrews 12:11

11All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Psalm 126:5-6

5Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. 6He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.

Illustrations

God is the very first parent (Genesis 1:26-29)

26God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.

28God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.

Hannah Dedicates Samuel (1 Samuel 1:9–28)

9So Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.

10She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.

11She vowed a vow, and said, “LORD of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.”

12As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli saw her mouth.

13Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

14Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

15Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not been drinking wine or strong drink, but I poured out my soul before the LORD.

16Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation.”

17Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.”

18She said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate; and her facial expression wasn’t sad any more.

19They rose up in the morning early and worshiped the LORD, then returned and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

20When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the LORD.”

21The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

22But Hannah didn’t go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and stay there forever.”

23Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the LORD establish his word.” So the woman waited and nursed her son until she weaned him.

24When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah of meal, and a container of wine, and brought him to the LORD’s house in Shiloh. The child was young.

25They killed the bull, and brought the child to Eli.

26She said, “Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD.

27I prayed for this child, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him.

28Therefore I have also given him to the LORD. As long as he lives he is given to the LORD.” He worshiped the LORD there.

We are to model God’s compassion for children (Luke 15:11-24)

11He said, “A certain man had two sons.

12The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them.

13Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.

14When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

15He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

16He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.

17But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!

18I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

19I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

20“He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

23Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate;

24for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

Prayer

Dear Father God, we confess that we often feel exhausted and frustrated in our journey as parents. At times, we even feel like complete failures. When we are confused and overwhelmed, grant us Your wisdom. When we are weary, renew our strength so we can carry on. And when we find ourselves in a valley, shrouded in discouragement, meet us there—shine the sunlight of Your hope into our hearts and lift us up again.

Lord, reveal to us Your perfect ways, that we might learn from You how to be faithful, loving, and wise parents.

Holy Spirit, help us when our teaching and discipline seem to fall flat, when our children stray and our hearts ache. You alone can do the deep heart work that we cannot. Perform the spiritual surgery that only You can do. Be our Helper when we reach the end of ourselves.

Father God, we dedicate our children to You, just as Hannah dedicated Samuel. We surrender their lives fully into Your hands. Use them, guide them, and lead them in Your perfect will. We pray that our children would have a life-changing encounter with Jesus—deep, personal, and powerful—so that their entire lives may be transformed.

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen!