How should Christian parents lead their families while living as exiles in this world?

Brian Borgman emphasizes the vital role of fathers in guiding their families by both example and instruction, reminding them that this world is not our ultimate home. Fathers are called to lead by prioritizing eternal values, showing their families that life is fleeting, and we are merely sojourners here. This perspective encourages children to develop a mindset that aligns with their identity as God's people, living with an eternal focus even as they navigate the temporal world.

Mothers also play a crucial role in this journey, as illustrated by the example of Moses' mother. Despite Moses being raised in Pharaoh's household, his mother consistently instilled in him his true identity as a child of God. Her influence prepared him for his future role, even though he initially faltered. This demonstrates the powerful impact a mother can have in shaping her children's spiritual identity and readiness to live according to God's purposes.

Hebrews 11:13 (NKJV): "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."

I would say that fathers need to lead their families in a way that keeping in front of their kids at all times in the way that they live, so as examples, but also in the way they instruct that we are in fact exiles here. Yes, this world that God has given us to live in is a gift, and all of that, without taking away any of that, we have to keep in mind that this life is a vapor, we're here a short time, and we're exiles in the land in which we live. And so dads can actually model that by their priorities, by the way that they instruct their families. But I would say that moms have a really significant role too. Just thinking about the role, for instance, of Moses' mother, right?

So here's Moses, who is the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter, but his mom's raising him. And what is his mom doing? His mom is instilling in him day after day, right, year after year as he's being raised, his identity as a child of God, as a Hebrew, so that when he's an adult, he actually is prepared to take action. Now, of course, he goes about it the wrong way at first, but it is his mother's influence that actually prepares him for that moment.