Standing On the Promises: A Handbook of Biblical Childrearing
Overview
God has designed each family to be a culture—with a language, customs, traditions, and countless unspoken assumptions. The culture of the family intimately shapes the children who grow up in it. It is the duty of the father to ensure that the shaping takes place according to biblical wisdom. Some fathers establish a rebellious culture for their children and bring upon their children the wrath of God, sometimes for generations. Other fathers fail to establish any distinct culture, and outside cultures rush to fill the void.
Through the Messiah, God promised blessings to his people, “their children, and their children’s children forever.” The norm for faithful members of the covenant is that their children will follow them in their faithfulness. The oddity should be children who fall away. Unless we reestablish faithful Christian culture in countless homes, we will never reestablish it anywhere else.
Top Highlights
“As we bring up our children, we should descend to their level in one sense (humility) in order to lead them to our level (maturity). This is not the same as descending to their level (immaturity) in order to lead them to our level (pride).” (Page 15)
“It is moral idiocy to leave children alone in order to let them ‘learn alone’ or ‘make decisions for themselves.’ The fact that they are left alone by their parents at home does not mean they will be left alone. By nature, children are malleable. They will either be shaped lawfully, by those commanded by God to perform the task, or they will be shaped unlawfully, by outsiders. But as children, they will be shaped.” (Page 10)
“The second problem, far more common among modern Christians, is that of forgetting the family is a culture at all, and allowing, by default, outside cultural influences to take primacy in how the children are shaped.” (Page 10)
“Now the Scriptures are equally clear that the heart of covenant-keeping is promise-believing.” (Page 23)
“Consequently, in the home, it is wrong to allow discipline that is not entirely calm.” (Page 19)
- Title: Standing On the Promises: A Handbook of Biblical Childrearing
- Author: Douglas Wilson
- Publisher: Canon Press
- Publication Date: 1997
- Pages: 176
Douglas Wilson (1953– ), a prolific author and speaker, has been the pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho for over 30 years. He is a senior fellow of theology, a permanent member of the Board of Trustees, and a professional in residence at New Saint Andrews College. Wilson graduated from the University of Idaho with a BA in classical studies and a BA and an MA in philosophy.
He is the editor of Credenda/Agenda magazine and has authored numerous books, including The Paideia of God: And Other Essays on Education, Standing On the Promises: A Handbook of Biblical Childrearing, Reforming Marriage, and Reformed Is Not Enough: Recovering the Objectivity of the Covenant, which can all be found in the Douglas Wilson Collection (17 vols.).