Christian Parenting 101
Lesson 3: How does a Parent discipline a Child's Heart?
Expect Respect and Obedience
It is often said that respect is earned. This may be a worldly rule, but it most certainly does not reflect Biblical Wisdom. The Bible very simply commands children to obey and honor their parents. (1) This message stands in direct opposition to everything the world teaches our children and us.
Today, children are bombarded with television and pop-culture images that glorify them in their own rights, down-playing the roles adults play in their lives. As soon as a child is able to work the television remote, if appears that Winnie the Pooh is replaced with attitude-laden, skimpily clad singers who drill a counter-culture message into her/his brain.
Biblical attitudes, respect for elders, and values such as honesty, integrity, and humility are not bred into a child, they must be taught. If a parent does not seek to teach them, society and its influences will teach a child its own message of acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
In order to reach a child’s heart, a parent must teach a child the difference between right and wrong, the meaning of consequences, and the value of rewards. Teaching these values to a child successfully requires the child to see the parent as the ultimate authority (besides God); thus, the parent must first teach the child to respect and obey. This can be accomplished by
- Refraining from harsh discipline (2)
- Disciplining and teaching consistently, not occasionally (3)
- Avoiding personal hypocrisy (4)
(1) Ephesians 6:1-3, Deuteronomy 5:16
(2) Ephesians 6:4
(3) Deuteronomy 6:7
(4) 1 Timothy 4:16
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