“Children, obey your parents in the Lord:
for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1
Let us not dangle the option of disobedience before our little one. Here is a scenario of a mother who doesn’t believe in her responsibility to make her child obey. A mother and her son Bobby are in a store and he is fascinated with a ball, but it’s time to leave the store.
Mother: “Come.”
Bobby ignores her.
Mother: “I’m waiting.” (Irritated) “Don’t make me count. I’m counting to ten. 1 ... 2 . . .3 ... 4 ... 5 ... .”
Bobby waits until Mom is on 8 and half, then he runs to her.
Bobby: “I want a ball.”
Mother: “No, not this time.”
Bobby: “I WANT IT!”
Mother: “NO.”
Bobby: “WAAAAAAAH.”
Mother: “Well, just this once.”
This mother relinquished authority to her child, which is not God’s order. She is sowing seeds of rebellion in her child, and they both will reap sorrow.
On the other hand, some parents may abuse their authority. Once I saw a father set a trap for his child so he could “teach him a lesson.” He set something that the child was not to touch in front of him, and then when the child touched the forbidden object the father slapped his hand. We have enough real-life lessons without fabricating false situations like this.
With tender consideration and the Lord’s grace, we can have a happy child and a restful home.