{"id":2562,"date":"2011-11-14T21:20:17","date_gmt":"2011-11-15T02:20:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/?p=2562"},"modified":"2014-07-21T10:14:58","modified_gmt":"2014-07-21T14:14:58","slug":"how-parents-respond-to-children-who-dont-obey-god-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/how-parents-respond-to-children-who-dont-obey-god-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How Should You Respond to Children Who Don\u2019t Obey God? Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s hard when a child you love is rejecting God\u2019s Word and wants to live his\/her life in a way that is pleasing to them, but not pleasing to God. But with God\u2019s help, and focusing on obedience to God\u2019s Word, God can be glorified in the process! So, what do parents need to do that will help them through this fiery trial of life? In the first post<\/a>, we talked about looking in the mirror first, allowing children to make some decisions on their own, and loving them the way God loves you. Today we look at the importance of being the example and showing grace.<\/p>\n

Be the Example<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s be honest with each other and admit that it\u2019s always easier to expect other people to change and grow than it is for us to change and grow ourselves \u2013 even if those \u2018other people\u2019 are our children. We want them to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. We want them to obey God\u2019s commands and follow the Word of God in all areas of their life. We want them to think and act like Christ and to be servants of the Lord and to people around them. We want them to share the Gospel with others who don\u2019t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and we want them to be the \u2018salt and light\u2019 that Jesus told us to be. All those are godly desires, but we have to ask a very convicting question: Are we willing to model those same expectations that we have for our children?<\/p>\n

One of the best ways to respond to a child who does not obey God is to model the very expectations we have of them. One of the most foundational verses in the New Testament is John 1:14, \u201cAnd the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.\u201d Jesus left His throne at the right hand of the Father and He came to this earth to bring glory to the Father. He was the \u201cOne who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin\u201d (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was the perfect example to us. He did not expect from us anything that He was not willing to do or to be for the glory of God.<\/strong> Think about this question: If my child loved the Lord, loved others, read God\u2019s Word, prayed, served the Lord, and was growing spiritually in the same way that I am growing…in other words, if their spirituality was a direct reflection of your own…than to what degree could you call your child spiritual?<\/p>\n

As parents, we have to be the example of the very things we expect from our children. We can\u2019t change our child\u2019s life, but we can show him\/her how to change and be what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, \u201c\u2026in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe”.<\/p>\n

Show Grace<\/h2>\n

One of the attributes of God, for us to focus on when we are struggling with our response to our child\u2019s disobedience and open rebellion, is His grace. Grace is God\u2019s unmerited favor. We don\u2019t deserve His grace; we can\u2019t and never will deserve it. But because He is the God of all grace, He has done things for us to help us, to encourage us, and to motivate us to keep running the race that is set before (Hebrews 12:1-3). In Romans 2:4, Paul wrote \u201cthe kindness of God leads you to repentance”. Why is God kind to us? Because He is a God of grace\u2026 Amazing Grace<\/em>! Really think about, ponder on, the words to probably the most famous song ever written:<\/p>\n

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
\nI once was lost, but now I\u2019m found, was blind but now I see.<\/p>\n

Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come.
\nT’was grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.<\/p>\n

When we’ve been there ten thousand years bright shining as the sun.
\nWe’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’ve first begun.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We all realize that choices have consequences because God is holy and a God of justice. There are times to demonstrate to our child that \u201cthe way of the transgressor is hard\u201d (KJV Proverbs 13:15) and that if you \u201csow to the flesh, you will reap corruption\u201d (Galatians 6:8). However, there is always room for God\u2019s grace. If your child is being disobedient, look for ways to show him\/her some of the grace that God has shown you!<\/strong> It may not solve the problem, but it will help you respond to the problem in a way that is pleasing to God and will give the right opinion of God to your child and those around you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s hard when a child you love is rejecting God\u2019s Word and wants to live his\/her life in a way that is pleasing to them, but not pleasing to God. But with God\u2019s help, and focusing on obedience to God\u2019s Word, God can be glorified in the process! So, what do parents need to do… read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[105,257],"tags":[135,165,166,4150,41,4324],"yoast_head":"\nHow Should You Respond to Children Who Don\u2019t Obey God? 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