---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God has already shown us the way [to…"
description: "\"“God has already shown us the way [to parent]. He parents, not according to an external list of rules, but according to his nature. Because he is a God..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/leslie-leyland-fields-65345_children_god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-pare_2892824.jpg"
---

#  God has already shown us the way \[to parent\]. He parents…

![“God has already shown us the way &#91;to parent&#93;. He parents, not according to an external list of rules, but according to his nature. Because he is a God of abounding love, he showers love and tenderness upon his children. Because he is a God of clarity and fairness, he provides definitive…” quote by Leslie Leyland Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/leslie-leyland-fields-65345_children_god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-pare_2892824.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/leslie-leyland-fields-65345_children_god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-pare_2892824.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/leslie-leyland-fields-65345_children_god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-pare_2892824.jpg)

> ““God has already shown us the way \[to parent\]. He parents, not according to an external list of rules, but according to his nature. Because he is a God of abounding love, he showers love and tenderness upon his children. Because he is a God of clarity and fairness, he provides definitive expectations for his children. Because he is a God of justice, he punishes his children's sin. Because he is a God of truth, who always fulfills his word, he disciplines their violations just as he promised. Because he is a God of mercy, he makes a way for their sins to be covered. Because he is a God of hope, he offers restoration even in the midst of judgement.””

Leslie Leyland Fields

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

God's parenting style blends love, fairness, justice, truth, mercy, and hope, offering clear expectations and restorative discipline.

**In simple terms:** God parents with love and fairness, guiding children.

Key Takeaway

Parent with love, fairness, and clear expectations.

Themes

parenting faith justice mercy hope discipline

Mood

hopeful serene

Type

spiritual inspirational

When to use this quote

- family life
- church teaching
- child development
- counseling

Key Concepts

theology ethics spirituality

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you model both firmness and compassion?
- What expectations reflect God's fairness in your parenting?

A Different Perspective

Balancing discipline with mercy can be challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/)

## Related quotes

> [If God has shown us bad times ahead, it's enough for me that He knows about them. That's why He sometimes shows us things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/if-god-has-shown-us-bad-times-ahead-it-s-enough-for-me-that-he-knows/)

[Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/)

> [God has never shown mercy on the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/god-has-never-shown-mercy-on-the-poor/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [The eternal wisdom of God ... has shown itself forth in all things, but chiefly in the mind of man, and most of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-eternal-wisdom-of-god-has-shown-itself-forth-in-all-things-but/)

[Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/)

> [Michael had once read to her how God had cast a man and woman out of paradise. Yet, for all their human faults and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/michael-had-once-read-to-her-how-god-had-cast-a-man-and-woman-out-of/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [“Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-woods-fisher/never-doubt-in-the-dark-what-god-has-shown-you-in-the-light/)

[Suzanne Woods Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-woods-fisher/)

> [One should always look to the end of everything, how it will finally come out. For the god has shown blessedness to many only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/one-should-always-look-to-the-end-of-everything-how-it-will-finally/)

[Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/)

> [Yes, I'm religious. God has shown me things, made certain ways clear to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-pryor/yes-i-m-religious-god-has-shown-me-things-made-certain-ways-clear-to/)

[Richard Pryor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-pryor/)

> [“The power of God is shown, not so much in his creation of the world or in any of his miracles, but rather in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kallistos-ware/the-power-of-god-is-shown-not-so-much-in-his-creation-of-the-world-or/)

[Kallistos Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kallistos-ware/)

> [“god has shown me that conducting our lives to look like "The Untouchables" --looking like we have it all together, like we are perfect--does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juanita-bynum/god-has-shown-me-that-conducting-our-lives-to-look-like-the/)

Juanita Bynum

> [“The Lord is not only tender and merciful and full of compassion, but He is also the God of justice, holiness and wrath…Compassion is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-lord-is-not-only-tender-and-merciful-and-full-of-compassion-but/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [The living God is a God of justice and mercy and He will be satisfied with nothing less than a people in whom his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesslie-newbigin/the-living-god-is-a-god-of-justice-and-mercy-and-he-will-be-satisfied/)

[Lesslie Newbigin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesslie-newbigin/)

> [Go warn the children of God of the terrible speed of mercy,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/go-warn-the-children-of-god-of-the-terrible-speed-of-mercy/)

[Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/)

> [God always do justice with honest, meek and humble person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuvika/god-always-do-justice-with-honest-meek-and-humble-person/)

[Yuvika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuvika/)

> [We think of justice sometimes as getting what you deserve, you know - what crime was committed and what is the punishment for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-think-of-justice-sometimes-as-getting-what-you-deserve-you-know/)

[Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/)

> [Brothers and sisters, white people will come in to chastise us. But since we are no longer forsaken, and are the people of God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/brothers-and-sisters-white-people-will-come-in-to-chastise-us-but/)

[Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/)

## More by Leslie Leyland Fields

> [“We never replace Jesus in our children's lives. We don't even do the work of Jesus in our children's lives. We do the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-leyland-fields/we-never-replace-jesus-in-our-children-s-lives-we-don-t-even-do-the/)

Leslie Leyland Fields

> [“In emphasizing God's love over his holiness--his set-apartness as a sovereign, omniscient authority--we end up believing that his central concern is our individual happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-leyland-fields/in-emphasizing-god-s-love-over-his-holiness-his-set-apartness-as-a/)

Leslie Leyland Fields

> [“Ironically, pretending that parenting is easy diminishes the value of family. As truth seekers and truth speakers, we need to be honest about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-leyland-fields/ironically-pretending-that-parenting-is-easy-diminishes-the-value-of/)

Leslie Leyland Fields

Explore all 4 Leslie Leyland Fields quotes

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“God has already shown us the way [to parent]. He parents, not according to an external list of rules, but according to his nature. Because he is a God of abounding love, he showers love and tenderness upon his children. Because he is a God of clarity and fairness, he provides definitive expectations for his children. Because he is a God of justice, he punishes his children's sin. Because he is a God of truth, who always fulfills his word, he disciplines their violations just as he promised. Because he is a God of mercy, he makes a way for their sins to be covered. Because he is a God of hope, he offers restoration even in the midst of judgement.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Leslie Leyland Fields"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-leyland-fields/god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-parent-he-parents-not-according/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-leyland-fields/god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-parent-he-parents-not-according/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/leslie-leyland-fields-65345_children_god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-pare_2892824.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/leslie-leyland-fields-65345_children_god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-pare_2892824.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/leslie-leyland-fields-65345_children_god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-pare_2892824.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“God has already shown us the way [to parent]. He parents, not according to an external list of rules, but…” — Leslie Leyland Fields",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Leslie Leyland Fields",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-leyland-fields/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“God has already shown us the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-leyland-fields/god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-parent-he-parents-not-according/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-leyland-fields/god-has-already-shown-us-the-way-to-parent-he-parents-not-according/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
