Know God Better

Have you ever stopped to think about the ways God parents?  
Can you look for examples in your own life or the lives of those 
around you?  Does He force His children? Does He threaten? 
Does He care about what we do? Does He give us everything we 
want or think we need? Does He hurt us? What motivates Him in His 
interactions with His children? 

Think about these questions and others that may come to your mind as 
you read and expand this discussion into your own personal search.  There 
is power in understanding God’s nature, not only in general, but also specifically 
in the ways He parents. I believe spending time to discover these answers gives 
us insight into 1. what in the world He may be trying to accomplish in His interactions 
with us personally and 2. what we can observe in His parenting that is worthy of our 
duplication as parents ourselves.   

This isn’t intended to be an all-inclusive list, but here are a few things I have found in 
my study and observation about God’s parenting.  First, what is discipline? Although 
we may quickly flash back to our own childhoods where discipline meant spankings 
or a certain number of lashings with a switch, does discipline mean punishment?  I 
would submit to your consideration that discipline actually means to teach (see Siegel & Bryson, No Drama Discipline, 227).  

I don’t want to open the debate of physical discipline vs. non physical discipline, 
but consider on how that fits in with the idea that discipline is actually teaching.  
We seek to teach our children as we observe their “Actions/Behaviors,” “Emotions,” 
and “Thought(s)” that indicate the “Belief” that needs correction (or further teaching 
and practice).  

I find it interesting that God invites us to be His disciples (can you see the 
same root word in both discipline and disciple?).  The Bible Dictionary tells us 
that a disciple is simply “a pupil or learner” (Source, under “Disciple”). (Check 
out Elder Hales talk to expand this concept Source). I believe taking a teaching 
approach is how God disciplines us as His children.

Here are a few other things I observed once I started watching for God’s parenting style:

  • God honors agency. He allows us to learn through our own experience; that 
    means He allows for us to choose for ourselves, knowing we will sometimes make 
    mistakes. He doesn’t steal away the opportunity to have our own experience; He 
    never does it for us.
  • He wants to change more than just our behaviors.  He wants to change our desires, 
    hearts, and our very natures (see President Uchtdorf’s talk, Source).
  • He teaches line upon line and precept upon precept (see Doctrine and Covenants 
    98:12). To me, that means He observes how far I can currently reach and continues 
    to offer growth that is achievable.
  • He motivates through persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love 
    unfeigned (See D&C 121:41).
  • He is purposeful.  He parents the individual.  He tailors to where we are in our 
    understanding.  “...every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own 
    tongue, and in his own language” (D&C 90:11, emphasis added). Although this 
    is referring to the gospel being preached throughout the world, I believe God speaks 
    to us in ways that we can currently understand.
  • He want us to come to Him, especially in our times of distress (see Matthew 11:27-28 
    and Luke 11:5-13).
  • He gives us what we need even though sometimes that isn’t not necessarily 
    what we want.
  • He chastens us and refines us because He loves us (see Helaman 15:3).
  • He knows His children individually (see Jeremiah 1:5).
  • He will take us in any state (see Luke 15:21-22).
  • Even in moments of anger, He still stands ready to receive us (see 2 Nephi 28:32).
  • He listens (see D&C 98:2).


Again, this is a list to get you started.  Start paying attention!  Watch for things to 
add to your own list by studying and through personal experience and prayer.  
Take some time to know God better, not only in the ways He parents, but also in 
His attributes. This is your invitation to understand who God is. Sometimes also 
considering on who He isn’t is helpful too.  

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