Hello My Friend,
A couple of weeks ago, I shared that our family has been working on Philippians 2:14:
“Do all things without grumbling or arguing...”
Ironically, the very next morning after we addressed the issue of grumbling, my children came downstairs —not with renewed attitudes — but with some pretty stinky ones. There was complaining, arguing, and bickering before breakfast had even begun.
Instead of handling it the way I normally might—with threats of missing TV time or not getting to do that fun thing we were planning to do— I simply said in a spontaneous (and very much Spirit-led) moment,
“Everyone, come sit down.”
We opened our Bibles, read (again) Philippians 2:14 together, and then I had each of them write the verse 5–10 times (depending on their age) before moving on with the day.
I left them alone to complete the task, and said to bring it for review before we do anything else.
A Missing Piece of Discipleship
It made me wonder why we so rarely use Scripture during moments of discipline.
For many of us, I don’t think it’s because we’re opposed to the idea. Perhaps we never saw it modeled. Or we have adopted the idea that the Bible belonged to church, family devotions, or bedtime—not to correcting attitudes, dishonesty, selfishness, or conflict in the moment.
Ironically, I first encountered this idea while watching an old episode of The Waltons. The mother had her children write out a passage of Scripture related to the issue they were facing. I tucked the idea away years ago and have slowly begun sprinkling it into our parenting now that my kids are old enough to write and understand.
Keeping the Right Balance
Let me be clear: this isn’t something we do every time our children disobey.
Nor is the goal to use the Bible as punishment or to make Scripture feel negative. Quite the opposite.
God’s Word should already be a joyful, familiar part of everyday family life—around the breakfast table, during family worship, and in ordinary conversations. When Scripture is already woven into the fabric of your home, it doesn’t feel out of place during correction. It feels like the natural place to turn.
The goal isn’t simply better behavior. It’s helping our children hear God’s voice in the middle of everyday life—including moments when correction is needed.
Putting It Into Practice
That morning, after writing out the verse, we talked about what it meant.
Why does God care about grumbling? What would obedience look like today?
Before long, everyone had memorized the verse. Even more encouraging, it became part of our family’s conversations throughout the week. Instead of saying, “Stop complaining,” we could simply ask, “What does Philippians 2:14 say?”
God’s Word had given us a shared language.
The same approach can work with many situations:
Complaining or arguing: Philippians 2:14
Selfishness: Philippians 2:3–4
Dishonesty: Proverbs 12:22 or Ephesians 4:25
Harsh or unkind words: Ephesians 4:29
Disrespect or disobedience: Ephesians 6:1–3
Lack of forgiveness: Ephesians 4:32
Read the passage together. If your child is old enough, have them write it out 5-10 times. Then ask a few simple questions:
What does this verse teach us? What happened today that didn’t line up with it? What would obedience look like next time?
Finish by praying together and return to the verse over the next few days.
One More Tool
Scripture isn’t the only tool God gives parents, but I wonder if it’s one we often overlook. But all Scripture is not only breathed out by God, but,
“…profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16, emphasis my own).
We’ve found that weeks later, our children may not remember exactly what Mom or Dad said in the moment, but they still remember Philippians 2:14.
That is exactly what we hope for.
Long after our voices fade, we pray that God’s Word will remain hidden in their hearts, shaping them into men and women He’s called them to be.
From My Heart and Home to Yours,
Ali
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Homes of Glory provides biblical encouragement & practical tips to help families stay grounded and growing in Jesus Christ.
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