Obedience is the earliest character trait your child must develop, and the earlier he or she begins to practice it, the happier your home will be. Although some modern experts on childrearing would say that the will of a child should not be suppressed, common sense and experience tell us that our children need guidance and restraint. They will only accept guidance and restraint when disobedience costs them something or brings upon them a punishment.
Obedience brings a life of safety, joy and productivity, contrary to popular belief. Within the boundaries of parental rules, children feel secure because life is predictable. If parents give clear commands and then follow those with either rewards for obedience or punishment for disobedience, the child responds and grows into an obedient young person, well on his way to developing other good traits.
The very first chapters of the Bible tell the age-old account of obedience and disobedience. God paved a way for Adam and Eve to live in abundance and perfect harmony with Him. They only had one restriction: they were not allowed to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve was deceived by Satan and gave in to the temptation of tasting the fruit of that tree. Then she offered it to her husband, Adam, and he ate it right along with her. This was the end of perfect fellowship with God, because they had broken God’s law and crossed His boundary. Even today, God has set a standard and boundaries for us. It is extremely dangerous for us to go beyond the boundaries that God has set for us. As Adam and Eve found out, when you choose to move away from what God has set as your standard, life will become more complex and dangerous.
Before the act of disobedience, we often fail to realize what hurt will soon come our way; but when judgment comes, we feel the pain of regret. We so desperately want to go back in time and unsow the seed that we have sown! Unfortunately, there are no “do overs.” What is done is done. We must face the punishment for our sin. Could it have been avoided? Yes. The feeling of knowing that you could have obeyed instead of disobeying will make you feel horrible. Unfortunately, the pain of sin is still all too real in our world. We are born sinners, because of what Adam and Eve chose to do so long ago. That choice has banished us to an eternity in Hell. Thankfully, Jesus Christ knew how wicked we are and still chose to die in our place for our sin. Because of Him, we can have our fellowship with God restored, even though disobedience swill always plague the life of a Christian. We often know the hurt that we will experience, but we still choose to disobey. Prevent the pain today; choose to obey.
Most often, the standard of obedience is clearly laid out for us to understand and follow. One of the sad facets of human sinfulness is that although we know the standards, we still choose to disobey them. When we choose to disobey, we open the floodgates for the consequences to come our way. It is so very important for us to stop and count the cost of what the consequences for our disobedience will be. If we count the cost, we will likely reconsider our actions. This truth must be taught to our children early, while they are still malleable and teachable. If parents consistently reward obedience and punish disobedience, a child will make obedience his pattern and will therefore lead a happier life.
MEMORY VERSE
“Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” Colossians 3:20