Do It God's Way!!!

One of the hardest things for me when raising children, was the rolling of the eyes in contempt when attempting to discipline our children. Even into adult years I still see the rolling of the eyes, through covert actions and dead pan faces. When there is not solidarity in the home, one parent will not discipline and the other wants to obey God, the one who will not obey God's standard is often, if not always the favored one.

The one who loves the Lord and desires to discipline God's way and consistently is continually met with anger on the part of the disobedient parent, causing contemptuous attitudes on the part of the children toward the parent who does discipline. Children watch how the disobedient parent treats the obedient one and emulates them, after all there is that natural bent toward rebellion, the one who is disobedient to God, will be the one the children will follow.

There is no solution to this problem, when a parent is lenient and inconsistent toward bad behavior, it is nearly impossible for the disciplinarian to have an impact. Little progress can be made in the heart of the rebellious child when one parent disobeys God, even when the other does obey Him.

The admonition here, is to be sure before one marries that both people agree on God's standard for raising children.

The consequences of a disobedient parent toward God's standard, who will not discipline, have lifelong consequences not only for the rebellious child but also a ruination of the relationship between the parent who obeys God and their children.

Everything the disciplinarian does will be held in contempt by the children no matter how much that parent did for the children, they will maintain their stance of rebellion and contempt for the one who obeyed God in matters of discipline.

It is natural for an unregenerate heart to bend toward the parent who has little or no standard in the home. Sadly, this propensity to bend toward the disobedient parent remains in the mind and heart, even after the children are grown. They don't remember why they despised the parent who obeyed God, only that they didn't like them.

The instruction of the obedient parent toward God, is spurned continually by the children. After they are grown they continue to be contemptuous and dismissive of the obedient parent's counsel.

There is no solution to this mess after all is said and done, except to pray for the children to eventually confess their sin and become born again.

The moral of the story is this: Young people, study the Bible deeply and pray before choosing a mate and be sure that you both agree on God's standard, talk about it, read the Word together and discuss the plan of action that will be taken with children even before you begin to have them.

If one cannot discuss with their potential mate the important matters of the Word and raising children, then there should be no marriage. 80% of the battle in raising children is agreement on the methods, that it be done God's way.