Ephesians 6:1-2  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.  (2)  Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

Raising children can be very difficult at times and even more so when you are a single parent. The Lord did not intend it to be that way, as both mother and father being in the same household should raise a child, but through people acting out the lust of the flesh and other wickedness, that is not the case in most homes today.

As a single parent, you still have to apply the scripture in Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

God through Jesus Christ is so merciful that he left us an example of a parent that did this and the outcome of the child.

2 Timothy 3:14 – 15 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (15) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

This was a letter that was written to Timothy by Paul uplifting him about the way he was raised and that he should continue in it. And who taught Timothy the scriptures about Jesus Christ?

2 Timothy 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

Acts 16:1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek.

Timothy’s mother and grandmother taught him the scriptures.

The majority of single parent homes are women raising the children and the father is not around.  This is not right in the sight of God and he gave commandments for men to raise their children.

1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Beloved men of God, such as Abraham raised their children to always follow the commandments of God.

Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Many single parents put a lot of emphasis on the wrong things in raising their children. They focus on buying their children material possessions and getting the best education for them instead of putting the Lord first, but remember what our duty is and why God made us.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (14) For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Finally, we know that we have many single parent households in our community because of the choices we have made by breaking the commandments. Other single parent households happen due to situations beyond our control like death. In either situation, the Most High shows us that we are to take care of one another and support those children. An excellent example is what Mordecai did when Hadassah’s (Esther) parents died.

Esther 2:7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.

Ecclesiasticus 4:10 Be as a father unto the fatherless, and instead of an husband unto their mother: so shalt thou be as the son of the most High, and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth.

You may also want to check out our other article on Raising Our Children