A child is a gift from God. However, many parents are overwhelmed when they learn that parenthood comes with great responsibility. Parents must nurture and care for children physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Children grow up to be mature and independent people. And parents and caregivers are tasked with being their first guides in life.

An African proverb says that a child is raised by two voices: a bass voice and a soprano voice. This refers to a child’s need for both limits and love. Giving your child freedom can be an act of love, but it can be cruel if you do not also give your child the security and structure they need. On the other hand, subjecting a child to endless rules without grace is also a costly mistake.

Raising children with loveless limits can make them bitter, and Paul warns parents against that. What's more, that kind of parenting can cause children to have a distorted image of God, their heavenly Father.

Were you raised in a home with too many rules and lacking love and grace? Many of us know the bitterness that can cause, but the good news is that we can find healing in God, our perfect parent. As believers, we must not forget the high voice and the low voice, the love and the limits of the Christian life. Parents can depend on the heavenly Father and lean into the support of the community of believers, talking with each other and with their children—all along the way as they grow.