parenting 14 gospel principles that can radically change your family

The subtitle of Tripp’s book says a lot about his approach: “The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family.” He argues that the better way of parenting – the only way – is the “way of grace,” or the way of the gospel of Christ. What are we really trying to do in our homes? What are our chief goals? And what’s the one foundational thing that parents and children need, so much more than good manners, civilized dinner times, and open communication? Instead, he wants to reorient the very way that we look at parenting. He doesn’t share how-to strategies for the challenges of boundaries and discipline. He doesn’t provide ten practical steps for raising nicer kids. This is the kind of “big picture” perspective that Tripp teaches in his book Parenting. This broad scope means that almost every passage in the Bible has something to say that relates to the many diverse areas of your life, including your job as a parent. And so nearly every text in the Bible reveals something about God, or about ourselves, or about sin, or grace through Christ, or life in this world, or our calling. From beginning to end it’s a story, where God is telling us about His great work of salvation through his Son. The Bible isn’t written as a topical study, addressing the daily issues which concern us. And if you want good advice about raising your strong-willed kids, read this.

We probably sometimes wish that that’s how the Bible was organized: if you’re angry, turn to this text if you’re lonely, read this one. But he also wants us to realize that the Bible isn’t meant as a topical resource to consult when we have specific questions or difficulties.

Paul Tripp has his own suggestion about a helpful parenting passage. What’s the best passage in the Bible about parenting? Maybe some will say Ephesians 6:1-4.

Parenting 14 gospel principles that can radically change your family