Written by Frank Risper
Have you ever wondered why children talk to their parents the way they do? What makes them so rebellious and disrespectful? Often times we, as parents, want our children to have their hearts desire.
We step out of the parent role and come down to their level and end up losing the authority that God gave us over them. When this happens, they lose respect for us and treat us like their friends instead of their parents. Actually, God did not put us here to be our children’s friend. According to Proverbs 22:6, God wants us to "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." That does not mean give them everything they want.
It simply means to teach them God’s will and even though they may not want to listen right now, later on in life they will remember the training and instructions given to them and they will do what is right. Take for instance athletes who train to stay in shape or prepare for a game. When game time comes, the athlete will know which choice or play to make at the appointed time. Our children are the same. If we train them in God’s will, which is he’s word, they will be able to make the right choices as situations arise in their lives.
After we train our children according to God’s will, Ephesians 6:1-3 instructs the children to "obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honour thy father and mother;(which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." To obey means to do what one is told.
To honour means to respect and love. As long as our children are in our care, they are commanded by God to do what we tell them, but as long as our children live, they are commanded by God to respect and love us. In doing so, they will receive God’s blessings and live a good, long life.
The word of God never changes. Timothy 3:14-15 tells us to "continue thou in things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." This simply means if we teach our children God’s will while they are young and build a firm foundation of God in them, as they continue in the word of God through his holy scriptures they will become wise and will be able to make sound decisions later in life. Therefore, do not worry about being your child’s friend, rather teach your child the ways of God and have your child follow you as you follow Christ, leading them and guiding them into all truth and righteousness.
About The Author
Kay Jones is an author and has completed studies and earned the degrees of Associates in Applied Science Office Systems Technology with a concentration in Medical and Computer Programming with a concentration in COBOL, RPG, and VB. She can be reached at kwhite91@netzero.net or her business address at http:// www.appliedskillscenter.usclargo.com.
