What the Bible Says about Parenting: Biblical Principle for Raising Godly Children

This book is perfect for anyone who takes Scripture seriously, and is either thinking of having or currently has children. John MacArthur is very true to God's Word, is very open and honest, and provides wonderful direction for raising children in the love and admonition of the Lord. Some of the truths he presents are not popular, especially today, but they are very biblical.Not a pseudo-Christian "self-help" book, this book provides a wonderful blueprint for raising children, teaching them about salvation, and encouraging them to serve the Lord all from a firmly biblical standpoint.

This is an excellent book full of practical and biblical instruction on parenting. As are most of MacArthur's books, Successful Christian Parenting is full of biblical exposition. MacArthur focuses on general principles of parenting, rather than getting entangled in specific lists of dos and donts. He rightly understands parenting to be a simple, yet weighty task: that of teaching our children to know God, obey His Word, and trust in Christ. This is a very gospel centered book, with clear direction on how to share the gospel with children. There is a strong emphasis on instilling into our children biblical wisdom for life. I also like MacArthur's balanced teaching on child discipline. The final two chapters focus on the father's and mother's roles, and beautifully unfold God's pattern for marriage which is based on mutual submission and love. This book is not encumbered with psychology or legalism, which makes it quite refreshing. MacArthur's comments on psychological disorders, referenced in another review, comprise a very small portion of this book. While I am not trained in medicine or psychology, my own exposure to psychology in college left me thinking that it was a far less exact science than psychologists want to let on. I don't think MacArthur is far off the mark.

As a single person I rejoice in the goodness of God who has granted me the opportunity to read this book before I have a family. I can now look ahead with great confidence knowing that I have the tools to be a good parent, to raise children well, and that I have a God who is faithfull and has given me everything needed to be a "succesful Christian parent".

After only a few chapters the Lord has shown me that my frustration up to this point in childrearing could have been avoided. His way is so simple and basic. We make things diffcult by coming up with our own methods. By teaching the basic principles of God's word we cannot fail in raising our children because the Lord will back us up with His power when we apply His principles. However, it starts with us as the parent and the way we live our lives as the example. How can we teach our child to be right with God if we are not following God's laws as parents. This book shows the extreme importance of putting our focus on bringing up our children God's way especially as we see our society's decline becoming more evident. Only the Lord can save the family!