"It's Complicated" is our series at Fusion Christian Church on relationships. Everyone knows our relationships are messy, but not everyone knows how to navigate them. This series will provide godly, biblical principles for keeping your relationships much less complicated! In Part 3, Pastor Matt teaches about the right approach to parenting.

We must equip our children rather than enable them.

Often parents don't equip children to succeed in life, but enable them to misbehave. Instead of learning discipline, the children learn to do whatever they want. One day, the parents won't be able to keep their kids' lives on track anymore. When that happens, the kids will have to make their own choices. Then it will truly be revealed how well they were raised.

Equip them with your Example.

What kids learn from their parents is more "caught" than "taught." What this means is that they will learn more from your example than what you tell them. This means parents cannot be hypocrites! If you speak one way and live another, your kids will see right through it. This means we should focus on the example we set before anything else.

Equip them with the Word.

Learning the word of God is the most important education any person can receive. That means parents should make it a priority to keep their kids in the scriptures. This also means that parents should know the scriptures. It's hard to equip someone else with God's word when you are not equipped yourself.

Equip them with Discipline.

Children need discipline. This is an unpopular position in modern culture, but children are not perfect and need correction. Out of love, out of a desire for what's best, children must be given discipline. If parents refuse to discipline their children, their children will almost never grow up to live healthy lives.

Equip them with with Grace.

On the flip side of discipline, parents must also offer grace. God is perfect in justice, but also in mercy and grace. In the same way, parents need to try to strike a balance between discipline and grace. Your children need to see both of these modeled because it will affect the way they relate to God later. If you can strike a balance between the two extremes, you will be on your way to godly parenting.