100 Deep And Insightful Parenting Tips For Parents Who Believe In Jesus
Here are 100 deep and insightful parenting tips based on the Tanakh and Torah, tailored for Messianic Jewish parents:
1. Teach the Shema daily:
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one" (Deut 6:4). Instill the foundational truth of God's oneness in your children's hearts.
2. Model love for God:
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" (Deut 6:5). Let your love for God be evident in your actions.
3. Write the commandments on your home:
Displaying mezuzot on doorposts (Deut 6:9) reminds children of God’s presence.
4. Teach Torah diligently:
"Impress them on your children" (Deut 6:7). Take every opportunity to share Torah lessons.
5. Use everyday moments for teaching: Whether at home or on the road, use daily life to explain God’s laws (Deut 6:7).
6. Lead by example:
Children are more likely to follow God when they see you do the same.
7. Celebrate Shabbat with joy:
Create a joyful atmosphere during Shabbat to help children understand its beauty and importance (Exodus 20:8-11).
8. Pass on the story of the Exodus:
Teach your children how God delivered Israel from Egypt (Exodus 13:8).
9. Teach your children to pray:
Show them how to cry out to God as Moses did.
10. Honor the importance of community:
Regularly attend synagogue and community gatherings, showing children the value of fellowship (Psalm 133:1).
11. Teach humility from Moses’ life: Highlight Moses' humility (Numbers 12:3) as a model for your children.
12. Teach the value of obedience: Encourage obedience to God’s commandments, explaining the blessings that come with it (Deut 28).
13. Teach the fear of the LORD:
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10). Guide them to have awe and reverence for God.
14. Lead them to righteousness:
"Train up a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6), so that they live righteously.
15. Discipline with love:
"He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly" (Proverbs 13:24).
16. Bless your children:
Speak blessings over your children, as Aaron blessed Israel (Numbers 6:24-26).
17. Teach kindness from Ruth’s story: Show them how Ruth’s loyalty and kindness reflect godly character.
18. Teach trust in God from David’s psalms:
Remind your children that, like David, they can trust God in all circumstances (Psalm 23).
19. Teach repentance from David’s life: Share how David repented for his sins and was restored (Psalm 51).
20. Model generosity:
Teach your children to give, just as Torah encourages giving to the poor and the Levites (Deut 15:10-11).
21. Teach the value of work:
"Six days you shall labor" (Exodus 20:9). Instill a strong work ethic rooted in Torah.
22. Teach them to honor parents: Emphasize the command to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12).
23. Teach the importance of justice:
Help them understand God's justice by learning from the judges and prophets (Micah 6:8).
24. Teach integrity from Joseph’s story: Highlight how Joseph's honesty and integrity before God saved a nation.
25. Teach perseverance from Jacob’s wrestling:
Show how Jacob’s persistence brought blessing (Genesis 32:24-30).
26. Inspire courage through Joshua: Encourage your children to be strong and courageous like Joshua (Joshua 1:9).
27. Teach them the power of prayer like Hannah:
Show how Hannah’s prayers were heard by God (1 Samuel 1:10-20).
28. Emphasize God's faithfulness:
Teach them about God’s unwavering faithfulness to His promises (Deut 7:9).
29. Teach responsibility through Adam and Eve:
Explain how their choices had lasting consequences (Genesis 3).
30. Model forgiveness:
Show how Joseph forgave his brothers, encouraging a spirit of forgiveness (Genesis 50:20).
31. Teach the value of loyalty:
From Ruth’s story, teach them to stand by family in times of need (Ruth 1:16).
32. Teach discernment from Solomon’s wisdom:
Show how Solomon prayed for wisdom and discernment (1 Kings 3:9-12).
33. Teach courage from Esther:
Share Esther’s bravery in standing up for her people (Esther 4:14).
34. Teach respect for God’s creation: Explain how God created the world and entrusted it to humanity (Genesis 1:28).
35. Teach the sanctity of life:
Show how God values life, as He instructed Noah after the flood (Genesis 9:6).
36. Model hospitality like Abraham:
Teach them to be generous hosts, welcoming others like Abraham welcomed angels (Genesis 18).
37. Teach faithfulness in marriage:
From Isaac and Rebekah’s love story, show how faithfulness strengthens family (Genesis 24).
38. Teach the value of community from Nehemiah:
Show how Nehemiah worked with others to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4).
39. Instill reverence for Torah:
Remind your children that Torah is life and wisdom (Deut 32:46-47).
40. Teach them to choose wisely:
Like Joshua, teach them to choose whom they will serve (Joshua 24:15).
41. Teach about God’s promises to Israel:
Instill a love for the Land and people of Israel (Genesis 12:1-3).
42. Teach them about Yeshua as the Messiah:
Show how Yeshua fulfills the Messianic prophecies in the Torah and Tanakh (Isaiah 53).
43. Teach about the holiness of God’s name:
“You shall not take the name of the LORD in vain” (Exodus 20:7). Model reverence for God's name.
44. Teach the value of peace:
Encourage peacemaking, as Aaron was known for making peace between people (Pirkei Avot 1:12).
45. Teach the importance of vows:
Teach your children to honor their word, just as God honors His promises (Numbers 30:2).
46. Show them how to trust God in uncertainty:
Like the Israelites in the wilderness, teach them to depend on God’s provision (Exodus 16).
47. Teach them the joy of the feasts: Celebrate the Biblical feasts with joy, teaching them the significance of Passover, Sukkot, and more (Leviticus 23).
48. Teach love for neighbors:
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
49. Model gratitude:
Encourage them to be grateful for their blessings like the Israelites were instructed in Deuteronomy 8:10.
50. Teach them to serve others:
Show them how serving others is a way of serving God (Deut 15:11).
51. Teach respect for elders:
“Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly” (Leviticus 19:32).
52. Teach resilience like Job:
Show how Job’s faithfulness to God helped him endure suffering (Job 1-42).
53. Teach the value of learning:
Just as Joshua studied the law day and night (Joshua 1:8), encourage a lifelong love of learning.
54. Encourage them to seek wisdom: “Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words” (Proverbs 4:5).
55. Model repentance:
Show how repentance restores the relationship with God, as seen in Jonah’s story (Jonah 3).
56. Teach patience like Noah:
Show how Noah waited on God’s timing during the flood (Genesis 6-9).
57. Encourage them to stand up for what’s right:
Like Daniel, teach them not to compromise on God’s truth (Daniel 6).
58. Teach that life is a gift:
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
59. Show how God hears prayers:
Like Elijah on Mount Carmel, teach them that God listens to the cries of His people (1 Kings 18).
60. Teach the importance of tzedakah: Encourage giving to charity as an essential part of a righteous life (Proverbs 19:17).
61. Instill a sense of justice from Micah: “Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
62. Teach perseverance like Nehemiah:
Encourage children to finish what they start and not to give up easily (Nehemiah 6).
63. Teach them to be a light:
Remind them of their calling to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6).
64. Teach them to celebrate life:
“There is a time to weep and a time to laugh”
65. Teach them to celebrate life:
“There is a time to weep and a time to laugh” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). Help them embrace the seasons of life with joy.
66. Teach them the value of silence:
"In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15). Help them appreciate reflection and quiet.
67. Model trust in God:
Like Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac, teach them to trust God’s plan even when it is difficult (Genesis 22).
68. Teach them about God’s mercy:
Share how God shows mercy to His people, as seen in His covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:15-16).
69. Encourage a spirit of worship:
Help them develop a heart of worship, like King David, who danced before the Lord (2 Samuel 6:14).
70. Teach them about purity:
Emphasize the importance of keeping their hearts and lives pure before God (Psalm 24:3-4).
71. Teach them to honor their word:
“Let your yes be yes and your no be no” (Numbers 30:2). Instill integrity in them.
72. Teach them the power of words: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21). Teach them to use their words wisely and kindly.
73. Show them how to give thanks:
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1). Make gratitude a daily practice.
74. Teach them to seek peace:
“Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14). Encourage them to be peacemakers in their relationships.
75. Model a strong work ethic:
Like Ruth in the fields of Boaz, teach your children the dignity of hard work (Ruth 2:2-3).
76. Teach them to guard their heart: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). Instill the importance of protecting their moral and spiritual well-being.
77. Teach the joy of Torah study:
Instill a love for Torah learning, making it a central part of their lives (Psalm 119:97).
78. Instill the value of unity:
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity” (Psalm 133:1). Encourage harmony in family and community.
79. Teach them to honor God's creation:
Teach them to respect and care for the earth, reflecting on God’s command to Adam to "tend and keep" the garden (Genesis 2:15).
80. Encourage self-control:
Teach them the importance of self-control and discipline, as modeled by Daniel in his diet and lifestyle (Daniel 1:8).
81. Teach them to honor their elders: Instill respect for their grandparents and elders, following the Torah’s instruction to honor the aged (Leviticus 19:32).
82. Teach them the importance of faithfulness:
Like the covenant faithfulness of God, teach them to be faithful in their commitments and relationships (Deut 7:9).
83. Teach them humility:
Encourage humility by teaching them the story of King Uzziah, who fell because of his pride (2 Chronicles 26:16).
84. Show them the beauty of repentance:
Teach them that when they make mistakes, they can always return to God, as King David did (Psalm 51:10-12).
85. Instill hope in God’s promises:
Teach them to trust God’s promises, as Abraham did when he waited for Isaac (Genesis 21:1-3).
86. Teach them to avoid gossip:
Teach them that speaking ill of others is harmful and displeases God, as seen in the story of Miriam (Numbers 12:1-10).
87. Teach them about God’s sovereignty:
Help them understand that God is in control of all things, as seen in the story of Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 50:20).
88. Teach them contentment:
Show them the importance of being content with what God has given them, as seen in Psalm 23.
89. Model joyful obedience:
Obey God's commands with joy so that your children learn to see God’s laws as a blessing (Psalm 19:8).
90. Teach them to be strong in adversity:
Teach them resilience by showing how Job endured suffering but remained faithful (Job 1:21).
91. Teach the importance of forgiveness:
Encourage forgiveness, reminding them of Joseph’s ability to forgive his brothers (Genesis 50:17).
92. Teach them to care for the poor:
"He who is gracious to the poor lends to the LORD" (Proverbs 19:17). Help them see the value in helping those less fortunate.
93. Instill the importance of Shalom:
Teach them that true peace comes from following God and living according to His ways (Isaiah 26:3).
94. Teach them to honor the Sabbath: Show them that keeping Shabbat is a joyful reminder of God’s rest and creation (Exodus 20:8-11).
95. Teach them the joy of community: Remind them that God placed us in community to support and build each other up (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
96. Teach them to praise God in all circumstances:
Encourage them to have a heart of praise, no matter the situation, like David in the Psalms (Psalm 34:1).
97. Instill a spirit of gratitude:
Teach them to give thanks for even the smallest blessings, remembering how God provided manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4).
98. Teach them the value of patience: Remind them that God’s timing is perfect, as seen in the story of Sarah waiting for Isaac (Genesis 18:10-14).
99. Teach them to trust God’s provision:
Show them how God provided for the Israelites in the desert with manna and quail (Exodus 16:15).
100. Model perseverance in faith:
Like Noah who built the ark despite ridicule, teach them to hold fast to their faith even in adversity (Genesis 6).
101. Teach them to walk humbly: Encourage them to follow Micah 6:8: “To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
102. Teach them the importance of family:
Like the patriarchs, remind them that family is central to God’s plan (Genesis 12-50).
103. Teach them the holiness of God: Help them revere God’s holiness, as seen in the awe Moses experienced at the burning bush (Exodus 3).
104. Teach them to love God with all their heart:
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart" (Deut 6:5). Emphasize that love for God is the greatest commandment.
105. Teach them to be a blessing:
"I will bless you… and you will be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2). Encourage them to be a source of blessing to others.
106. Teach them to seek God’s will: Remind them of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart… in all your ways acknowledge Him.”
107. Teach them the power of community prayer:
Show them how praying together as a family and community brings God’s presence near (Psalm 145:18).
108. Model a life of gratitude:
Teach them to recognize and thank God for His provision, just as Moses praised God for leading the Israelites through the Red Sea (Exodus 15).
109. Teach them about redemption: Show them how Yeshua fulfilled the Torah and the prophets, bringing redemption to Israel and the world (Isaiah 53).
110. Teach them the eternal covenant: Remind them that God’s covenant with Israel is everlasting and that they are part of this chosen people (Genesis 17:7).
These principles serve as a guide to help shape a home that is grounded in Torah values, filled with love, faithfulness, and reverence for God.