God knows much more about molding our children into winners than we do. He created them. We do well to heed His counsel with regard to parenting. He understands the importance of parental discipline in the early life of children.
He says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, KJV). The word train in this verse means to initiate or to imbue (saturate or stain). It denotes diligence and not passiveness.
Based upon this verse, the sooner you begin to discipline your children, the better. But some parents tend to take a passive approach to discipline. By that I mean they shun that duty during the early years of childhood. Only when their children become a problem that can’t be ignored do they try to rein them in. Of course, late is better than never. But, parents, the longer you defer the process, the less likely your chance of success.
God blessed my wife and me with six children—three boys and three girls. Except for some part-time work a couple of short periods, my wife did not work outside the home until our last son started school. Her hands were full trying to guide our busy home. I understand that for many families today, both parents may need to work. My main point for bringing up our approach was to underscore how challenging parenting is.
Making Parental Discipline a Priority
Even if both parents work outside the home, diligence in training their children in the way they should go must remain a priority. Negligence in parental discipline while hoping for the best is a recipe for disaster.
I believe most parents agree that the job of parental discipline is harder these days. Our increasingly complex world makes the job more difficult. The moral fabric of our society continues to weaken. Even the agenda of our educational system has stacked the deck against our efforts to raise our children with sound biblical values.
That’s why you must be diligent in the business of disciplining your children. Furthermore, God places this parental duty high on the list of parents. Even when He calls one to the work of the ministry, the priority remains to rule his own house well and to keep his children in subjection (1 Timothy 3:4).
According to the Bible, when you discipline your children in the way of the Lord, they will not depart from that way. This does not mean they won’t take a detour or walk in rebellion somewhere in life. But it does mean they will always know the way they should go.
What an awesome power God has placed in our hands as parents. He has made us co-laborers with Him in building champions in this world and for the Kingdom of God.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.