Parenthood is a partnership with God, working alongside the Creator to shape human character and determine destiny. The fundamental purpose of parenting is to mold godly character in children, aiming for the high goal of the Kingdom of God. This purpose dictates the methods used, which must align with God's will and Word, the only true authority for childrearing. Parental authority is divinely ordained, placed directly after the commandments honoring God in the Ten Commandments. Honoring parents comes with promises of long life and well-being, conditioning children to respect other authority figures and ultimately to submit to God the Father. Proper respect for parents, instilled early, provides a significant advantage in forming a relationship with God, ensuring spiritual and physical blessings. Children are required to obey their parents in the Lord, meaning they should obey as long as the commands align with what is right, as if obeying Christ Himself, and because it is the will of the Lord. Disobedience, even when necessary to avoid sin, must be handled with tact and respect to maintain the relationship. Obedience to parents is a foundational principle, validated by Christ, and essential for family harmony. Parental authority must be coupled with godly love to avoid becoming authoritarian or abusive. Authority should be exercised with outgoing concern for the child's long-term eternal good, not just for momentary comfort. Discipline, even when painful, is an act of love, yielding spiritual fruits of peace, righteousness, and joy when done properly. If parents spare discipline, they fail to prepare the child for life, showing a lack of true love. Discipline must be administered early and diligently, starting as young as possible to counter negative influences and instill obedience before rebellion takes root. Parents act as a shield, guarding children from harmful influences through proper training and instruction in right and wrong. Diligence requires constant awareness of the child's actions, understanding their needs, and applying correction or praise promptly to ensure they connect discipline with the infraction. Clear rules and limits, based on God's commandments, must be established for children to live by, guiding them until they mature enough to internalize these principles. These rules teach respect, responsibility, and care for others, covering behavior, etiquette, and work ethic. Parents must outline expectations specifically, ensuring children understand what is required, and consistently enforce these rules with praise for obedience and penalties for infractions, fostering peace and righteousness in the home.

God commands us in Exodus 20:12, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you." The Hebrew term underlying honor is k&257;b&275;d (Strong's 3513), which literally means to be heavy, weighty, or burdensome, often carrying a positive connotation of being noteworthy or impressive when used figuratively. People in positions of responsibility and power, especially those placed by God like human parents, should receive the honor due them. God gives them weighty responsibilities over the lives of His people, so they should receive weighty respect or honor in return. Many note that the fifth commandment charges us to honor our parents rather than obey them, a distinction worthy of contemplation. Paul clarifies this in Ephesians 6:1-3, instructing, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother,' which is the first commandment with promise: 'that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.'" The qualifying phrase, "in the Lord," provides the scope of a child's obedience to a parent: He must obey a parent's orders as long as they comply with God's Word. We should respect our parents' God-given positions of authority and responsibility, and it is especially appropriate to honor them for their integrity and faithfulness to what is right. Those sound principles and behaviors they taught, if followed out of respect for them and God behind them, will provide a well of wisdom from which we can draw as we move along the path of life, prolonging and enhancing our days.

Along with the responsibilities you have in raising your children, you have authority from God to lead them in the way that they should go. Use it! As Ephesians 6:1-4 instructs, children are to obey their parents in the Lord, for this is right, and to honor their father and mother, as it is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with them and they may live long on the earth. Honoring parents mirrors fearing the Lord, involving respect, reverence, and submission to their authority. This obedience fosters virtues such as humility, responsibility, understanding, wisdom, and love, equipping children for a successful life and a proper perspective of their place within it. Parents, in turn, are cautioned not to provoke their children to wrath, but to bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. This means avoiding harsh treatment that could break a child's spirit, humiliate, terrorize, or cause resentment, confusion, or belittlement. Instead, parents must consider the ultimate outcome of their parenting style, aiming to produce Godly offspring as Malachi 2:15 emphasizes. Training, or paideia, involves an organized, purposeful program for childrearing, covering behavior, deportment, manners, courtesies, emotions, and attitudes. Admonition, or nouthesia, focuses on instructing the mind through words, implying proper Godly education, all guided by God's word to produce well-adjusted children. God's authority as a parent is not to be questioned, as seen in Deuteronomy 21:18-21, where parents under the Old Covenant had absolute authority over a stubborn and rebellious son, even to the point of life and death, to ensure their authority in society remained unquestioned. Though this extreme is not advocated today, it underscores the significant authority God invests in parents. This authority must be used in love, not abuse, finding a balance between permissiveness and overuse, to bring children to emotional and behavioral maturity. Hebrews 12:5-11 illustrates that God disciplines His children out of love, not fear, to produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Similarly, parents must discipline with love, as Proverbs 13:24 states, "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly." Discipline should be appropriate, consistent, and tailored to the child, ranging from a cautionary look to corporal punishment, without provoking negative, lasting emotions. Proper discipline, contrary to modern thought, produces respect and self-esteem in the child, as Hebrews 12:9 confirms, and failing to discipline is akin to disowning them, treating them as illegitimate. Parents must establish leadership authority early, even before the child reaches the challenging early years, to curb inherent narcissistic tendencies and prevent rebellion. Command your children clearly and firmly, without compromising or undermining your authority, ensuring they understand and comply through consistent follow-through and appropriate punishment if needed. Discipline, though difficult at first, yields peace, cooperation, and right behavior in the family, preparing children for adulthood and a future relationship with God. As Hebrews 5:7-8 shows, even Jesus Christ learned obedience through suffering, demonstrating that parents should not fear using God-given authority to teach proper behavior and lead their children in the way they should go.