Bible Verses About Children
What Does The Bible Say About Kids?
Parenting, mentoring, or educating children is a very serious task in the eyes of God. Those that have children part of their regular lives know the constant joys and challenges a child brings. A child is simultaneously seeking their identity, learning their boundaries, and filling our hearts with love that we often aren’t sure how to process such a wide range of feelings. We often complete the day feeling so drained and so fulfilled at the same time. When we are seeking clarity on our own feelings about the children in our lives, it’s good to turn to the Bible and see what God tells us about children.
God Sees Us All As Children
John 1:12 – Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
Galatians 3:26 – So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.
Romans 8:14 – For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Matthew 5:9 – Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Ephesians 5:1 – Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children.
1 John 3:18 – My little children, let’s not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
Ephesians 1:5 – He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
First and foremost, God reminds us repeatedly that we are His children. We matter to Him. We matter so much to Him, that He adopts us as His children through faith. The cost of our adoption to God was the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He sent His son so that we may also become His children.
When we accept God as ours, He claims us as his child. God wants us to take comfort in becoming a child of His, because a child puts full trust in their caregiver. God wants us to find the comfort in Him as our Father, so that we can pass that same love and stability on to a child.
How Does God View a Child?
Psalm 127:3 – Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Psalm 139:13-15 – For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well.
James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
John 1:13 – Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
It should be no surprise to us that God views children as a blessing, because He calls us His own children. He tells us that we are precious, we are dearly loved, we are His. With this analogy to our own relationships with God, He wants us to know that the children we experience in our lives are just as precious and blessed.
God takes pride in us as His children, and He wants us to experience that same pride by putting children into our lives. God sees children as such a prize, He tells us that a child is a gift directly from Him. He loves our children more than we ever could, and He has entrusted us with their care and guidance.
What Can We Learn from a Child?
3 John 1:4 – I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Proverbs 20:11 – Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
Proverbs 29:17 – Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; He will also delight your soul.
Children will not always conform to social norms or even behave in a way that we want them to. We are to correct them and give them direction in these circumstances. When we provide our children with the much needed stability of discipline, they will eventually follow. A child’s ability to follow and walk in God’s path as we direct them will bring great joy. Although it is difficult at times, God intends children to delight us, and to fulfill our souls with joy.
Titus 1:6 – An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.
Children are a direct reflecting of our influence. God even tells us in this verse that in order to be a leader within His church, our children must also be followers of Christ. God wants us to take raising children so seriously that He commands it to be a key piece of criteria to lead within His church.
Matthew 18:3 – And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
While God tells us that it is critical to correct a child, and our influence of a child directly impacts our roles within the church, God also wants us to know that being a child is a beautiful thing. A child believes and holds faith without understanding and without all the answers. We must remind ourselves that as children of God, we must take inspiration from the children in our lives. It is of utmost importance to God for us to understand that a child must be taught, but that a child is also teaching.
Enhance the Life of a Child
In all this talk of how important we are as God’s children, how important it is for us to raise children properly, and what a beautiful gift children are, it is easy to find ourselves a little lost. All of these things should happen, but how? Does God give us any guidance on how to handle such an important task?
Isaiah 54:13 – All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.
Colossians 3:21 – Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Isaiah 38:19 – The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.
Ephesians 6:4 – Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 13:24 – Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are careful to discipline him.
1 Timothy 5:10 – And is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
Hebrews 12:11 – No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Most importantly, God wants us to know that we are to discipline and correct our children. He acknowledges to us that this is not easy, and is in fact very painful to follow through on. However, he reminds us to stay the course, and to endure the pain of disciplining a child, for they will become followers of the Lord.
While disciplining our children is not intended to be a pleasant task, God also reminds us to discipline them in a way that does not discourage their paths to righteousness. We must also provide the example of our own love and faithfulness to God to lead them.
Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Matthew 19:14 – Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
God reminds us in these verses that if we direct the children to Jesus in the way He has directed us, they will not part from our teachings. Our children will continue to go on their own journey through life, ask questions, seek new ways, and ultimately find the God that we have faithfully shown by our words and our example. If we continue to do our part, God will see to it that our children will not be separated from Him. We can take comfort in knowing that our efforts to enhance a child’s life is backed up with God’s grace and love.
Bible Verses About Children
Mark 7:27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
Ezra 2:42 The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all one hundred thirty-nine.
Nehemiah 7:45 The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, one hundred thirty-eight.
Joshua 17:2 So [the lot] was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for the children of Asriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida: these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.
John 21:5 Jesus therefore said to them, “Children, have you anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.”
Galatians 3:26 For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.
Luke 20:34 Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry, and are given in marriage.
Matthew 17:26 Peter said to him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Therefore the children are exempt.
Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, “Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Luke 18:16 Jesus summoned them, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said to them, “Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Ephesians 1:5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
Acts 13:33 that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’
Acts 10:36 The word which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ–he is Lord of all–
Matthew 17:25 He said, “Yes.” When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?”
Mark 10:24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God!
Matthew 1:16 Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus{“Jesus” is a Greek variant of the Jewish name “Yehoshua,” which means “Yah saves.” “Jesus” is also the masculine form of “Yeshu’ah,” which means “Salvation.”}, who is called Christ.
Numbers 8:19 I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel; that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”
Luke 23:28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
Nehemiah 7:57 The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,
Nehemiah 7:59 the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the children of Amon.
Ezra 2:55 The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Hassophereth, the children of Peruda,
Mark 10:29 Jesus said, “Most assuredly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the Gospel’s sake,
Nehemiah 11:4 In Jerusalem lived certain of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children of Perez;
Joshua 22:11 The children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that pertains to the children of Israel.
