How To Make The Right Parenting DecisionSample

Is There Any Commandment You Need to Teach Your Child?

While out on a hike with friends, 5-year-old Hanry ran ahead, past the place he was supposed to stop and wait for his parents. When his father Axel realized the boy was missing, he swiftly caught up, delivered some strong words of discipline, and brought Hanry back to the car.

“I follow through with what I say,” says Axel. That means if Axel tells Hanry that breaking a rule will end an outing, then that’s what happens.

Commandments are important decision-making tools. When God lays out his commands for the people Israel in Deuteronomy 28, God also tells them what they can expect from obedience and disobedience. There are blessings that come from following the commandments, and curses that come from breaking the rules.

Some commandments apply specifically to children. Deuteronomy 5:16 commands “Honor your father and mother.” 

When you’re mulling over a parenting decision, ask yourself whether there’s a commandment that you need to teach your child. 

Axel was teaching his son about honoring father and mother when he took Hanry home from the hike. He was also modeling God’s commandment to be true to your word, which appears in multiple places in the Bible such as Deuteronomy 23:23, Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 and Matthew 5:37.

The Bible repeats certain commandments over and over again. You can use this tactic with your children. Young children may need to hear a rule several times before they understand it. Axel says, “Even though I expected Hanry to know the rules, I regretted not reminding him at the start of the hike, given his age.” Repetition plus real-life consequences add up to discipline.

“Discipline your children and they will give you rest,” says Proverbs 29:17. God’s commandments are the foundation of discipline.

Prayer

Lord, help me follow your commandments in my parenting. Give me your wisdom in discipline. Amen. 

For further exploration, read 4 Bible Lessons to Teach Kids Work Ethic from the Theology of Work Project.