When an obstetrician hands a baby to the parents and says, “You have a beautiful baby girl,” the doctor’s work is done—but the parents’ work has just begun. Ahead lies a lifetime of love and care—from diapers to adulthood, through patty-cakes, ABCs, the first day of school, and one day a college diploma. In the same way, when the Gospel takes root in a new believer’s heart, they aren’t left to fend for themselves. They’re entrusted to Gospel parents—mature believers who nurture them with the same tenderness a mother gives her child. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, Paul writes, “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.” Let’s explore what it means to be a Gospel parent who nurtures with motherly tenderness, whether you’re raising biological children or spiritual children in the faith.
The word “nurse” in this passage refers to a nursing mother, tenderly feeding her child. This isn’t the cold, detached parenting we see in nature. In my backyard I have a koi pond, I’ve watched frogs lay thousands of eggs each spring, turning the pond into a sea of pollywogs. But the mother frog doesn’t stick around—she hops away, leaving her babies to fend for themselves. Soon, the koi fish realize these pollywogs are an easy meal, gobbling up thousands until only a few survive to become frogs. That is why frogs don’t celebrate Mother’s Day. That is reptilian parenting: lay the eggs, leave the eggs, and let nature take its course. But a Gospel parent is different. They nurture with the “milk of the Word” (1 Peter 2:2), feeding new believers the truth of Scripture to help them grow, just as Paul did with the Thessalonians (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12-13).
More than just teaching, a Gospel parent nurtures with love. 1 Corinthians 13:1 warns, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” Without love, our teaching is empty noise. A Gospel parent demonstrates the selfless love of Christ, ensuring healthy spiritual growth.
In 1 Kings 3, King Solomon faced two women claiming to be the real mother of the same baby. The unnatural mother agreed to Solomon’s suggestion to cut the child in half, but the real mother’s love shone through—she’d rather give up her child than see him harmed. That’s the heart of a Gospel parent: a love so deep they’d give their “own soul”for those they nurture, as Paul did for the Thessalonians.
I think of Grace Hurne, a woman who led my own mother to Christ. Grace and her husband, Milton, invited my mom and other nursing students to their home on weekends, teaching them the New Testament verse by verse and taking them to church on Sundays. That tender, motherly care through the Word shaped my mom’s faith, which in turn shaped our family. Whether you’re a parent, a mentor, or a friend, you can be a Gospel parent by nurturing those around you with the truth of Scripture and the love of Christ. It’s a love that doesn’t hop away like a frog—it stays, it cares, and it builds up.
Being a Gospel parent means nurturing with motherly tenderness, feeding others the milk of the Word and loving them with the selfless love of Christ. Whether you’re raising children or discipling a new believer, your tenderness can shape lives for eternity. Let’s commit to being Gospel parents who not only give life but also shape it with the love of Christ.
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