How to Model Godly Living to Your Kids

As Christian parents, one of our most important responsibilities is to model godly character and behavior to the children God has entrusted to our care. More than just teaching them biblical principles, our lives should exemplify what it means to faithfully follow Christ in word and deed. The power of our example cannot be overstated in shaping our children’s worldview, values, and ultimately, their relationship with God. Let’s explore some key ways we can effectively model godly living to our kids.

Be Reliable and Consistent in Your Faith

First and foremost, we must strive to be reliable models of integrity and consistency in living out our Christian faith. This means being the same person in private as in public, demonstrating that our faith is genuine rather than just an external show. Our children need to see that we don’t just talk about honesty, kindness, self-control and other fruits of the Spirit, but that we sincerely aim to embody those qualities, even when no one is watching.

As the saying goes, “more is caught than taught.” If we want to instill godly character in our kids, it has to flow from the abundance and overflow of our own hearts that love God and His ways. They will quickly pick up on any hypocrisy or double standards. But when we are authentic in pursuing righteousness, our children will respect that and be more likely to follow our lead. “The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!” (Proverbs 20:7)

Openly Repent and Seek Forgiveness

Of course, no parent is perfect. We will make mistakes and sin. But how we handle our failures can powerfully shape our children’s understanding of the gospel. When we mess up, we have the opportunity to model humility and repentance.

Rather than making excuses or blaming others, we can take responsibility, confess our wrong to God and to our kids, and ask for forgiveness. This demonstrates security in God’s grace, that we don’t have to hide our flaws but can deal with sin honestly. It also shows that we respect our children and don’t take them for granted.

Modeling repentance and reconciliation after conflict helps prevent bitterness from taking root in our families. It lays the groundwork for a home environment of openness, grace and unconditional love. Most importantly, it points to the gospel – that we are all sinners in need of ongoing forgiveness through Christ. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Teach Obedience to God’s Word

Another critical way to model godliness is by demonstrating obedience and submission to the authority of Scripture. We should teach our children that the Bible, not our own opinions, is our ultimate standard for beliefs and behavior.

In our homes, this means striving to align our family values, priorities and practices with the truth of God’s Word. It means making decisions prayerfully with Scripture as our guide. It means speaking often of God’s commands and promises, applying biblical wisdom to daily life and dilemmas.

Sometimes obeying God is hard. It may go against our natural preferences or the world’s ways. But our willingness to submit to His authority, even at personal cost, shows our kids that we trust God and believe He knows what’s best for us. “Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.” (Proverbs 10:17)

Cultivate a Vibrant Relationship with God

Perhaps most importantly, we cannot pass on to our children what we do not possess ourselves. To model authentic godliness, we must be actively cultivating our own relationship with God – in prayer, worship, Scripture meditation, and obedience.

Our kids need to see that our faith is a living, breathing, daily walk with God, not just a Sunday morning ritual. They should observe us turning to God for strength, wisdom, comfort and guidance. They should hear us talking to God throughout the day, praising Him, confessing to Him, interceding for others. They should sense our reverence and affection for God.

As we abide in Christ, His life and love will overflow to our children in natural ways. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4) The closer we are to Jesus, the more His light will shine through us to our kids.

Be Intentional in Discipleship

While modeling is often more “caught than taught,” we must also be intentional and proactive in discipling our children in the faith. Deuteronomy 6:7 instructs us to diligently teach our children God’s commands, talking of them consistently in everyday life contexts.

Look for opportunities to naturally discuss biblical truths and their application as you go about daily activities with your kids. Ask questions that provoke them to think through issues from a Christian worldview. Have regular times of family worship and Bible study. Pray with and for your children. Involve them in serving others and sharing the gospel. Celebrate spiritual milestones. Ultimately, aim to create a home environment saturated with the things of God.

Rely on God’s Grace

Finally, resist the pressure to be a “perfect parent.” Modeling godliness is not about projecting an impossible standard, but about pointing our kids to the grace and sufficiency of Christ. We will fall short, but God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). He is faithful to complete the work He began in us and our children (Philippians 1:6).

Humbly acknowledge your inadequacy and pray for the Holy Spirit’s power to fill and transform you. Entrust your children to the Lord, believing His love for them is even greater than yours. Model dependence on God’s grace and you can trust Him to make up for your weaknesses and failures. Showing your children that your hope is in Christ alone is the most important thing you can model for them.

Modeling godly behavior requires us as parents to be authentic and consistent in living out our faith, openly repentant when we fail, submitted to the authority of Scripture, vitally connected to Christ, intentional in discipleship, and humbly dependent on God’s grace. As we faithfully live out the gospel before our children, we can trust God to work in their hearts and draw them to Himself. May He find us faithful in this high calling of modeling Christ to the next generation.