Responsible parenting (II)

Written by J. Raymond Pecoraro.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (KJV) Proverbs 22:6

Continuation of Responsible parenting

Parents must discontinue saying that boys will be boys, etc. Boys and girls will only do what they are allowed to do. Solomon tells us, “The wise woman builds her house...” (Prov. 14:1). This isn’t referencing building a material abode. This is talking about building up her household! In Gen. 44:30, Moses wrote that a good father’s life is “bound up” with his son. “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.” (Prov. 29:17). Conversely, children will bring heartache and many sleepless nights if they are allowed to go unchecked!

Let me please preface here that I am speaking about discipline and not punishment. We must discipline children in the correct, God-given way outlined in the Bible! If they don’t learn to respect authority in the home, we cannot expect them to do so in society. We want to see what the Bible does say about disciplining the correct way:

1. Parents must use discipline as a learning tool. Paul wrote, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4). The Greek words used in the Bible where children are concerned means to “gradually train them.” This is a continual process. Please keep in mind that children, even their siblings, develop at a different pace along their journey to adulthood! Parents should be their coaches.

2. Parents are responsible for directing their growth through continual guidance. This may involve specialized instructions. (See I Cor. 3:1-3; Heb. 5:12-14; Phil. 1:9, 10; James 3:2-6).

How can you use discipline as a learning tool and continual guidance for your children?

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