Teach Your Children Respect

May 11, 2012

Read | Ephesians 6:1-4

If children don't learn to honor parents, the disrespect spills over into their adult lives, affecting every other relationship. When they have children, the problem accelerates into the next generation. Soon an entire society is plagued with disrespect in homes, schools, and workplaces. This sounds like our generation, doesn't it?

Our culture is disrespectful because parents have abdicated their responsibility. Instead of standing in the place of honor that God has given them, they have stepped down and tolerated insolent behavior from their children. Here are several reasons:

Ignorance about discipline: Some parents fail to recognize that disrespect is a serious matter that calls for immediate action. If you let such attitudes and behaviors continue, you're not raising your child according to biblical guidelines.

Misunderstanding about love: In their desire to be loved, some moms and dads try to be a child's friend instead of parent. But if children see you as their equal, they are less likely to respect or love you.

Overwhelmed by busyness: Teaching children to honor you takes time, effort, and consistency. But many parents today are too busy and preoccupied to work seriously at this task. They have no energy reserves to tackle disrespectful attitudes and behaviors.

If you have children at home, are you training them to be respectful? When you are strong and firm in a loving way, you're establishing your God-given position as an honored parent. Our children don't come to us knowing that the Lord commands them to respect us. It's our job to teach them.

God bless you!