Many Christian parents need to fast, pray, and seek God's wisdom in this extremely important matter. In today's world of apostasy the Church in general has failed in teaching the principles in God's Word pertaining to the proper, God-ordained parent-child relationship.

Children are precious gifts from the Lord, and we have a God-given responsibility to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). But today children dominate the home and manipulate their parents on a scale never before seen in the history of man. The huckster advertiser knows this, but most Christians do not. Vast sums are spent for advertising in all the media, aimed at this abominable perversion of God's order.

Many Christian parents find themselves at a loss for how to manage their spoiled, ill-mannered, undisciplined children. They are now trying to get their children to "cooperate" rather than obey.

A diligent search of the Scriptures regarding the parent-child relationship would be very revealing to one with a teachable spirit.

It is very important for parents to understand that children do not have an adequate concept of God and the consequences of their sins. They do, however, have a concept of right and wrong based on the things they have been taught (and they have a conscience). The God-ordained way for children to deal with the guilt feelings that come with disobeying parents is to spank them adequately for their disobedience. By proper punishment with the rod (or belt) the children are relieved of their guilt feelings because justice has been done. If children are not punished for their disobedience then they must carry around the guilt feelings that are associated with wrongdoing. Children who are not punished by spanking carry a great burden of guilt and oftentimes they began to hate their parents and rebel even more in their teenage years. Parents are doing their children an awful disservice when they do not properly mete out corporal punishment for disobedience as clearly set forth in the Word of God. 

Christian parents must make a decision whether they are going to discipline their children according to God's Word or according to their own ideas, usually based on liberal-minded so-called "expert" psychologists and psychiatrists of these perverted last days.

According to Proverbs 13:24 if you do not spank your children for disobedience you hate your children. For those parents who won't spank their children and say that they love them is the opposite of what God says about it. Who are we to believe---you, or God? You should love them enough to spank them when they disobey. God says, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently" (Prov. 13:24).

Many Christian men allow or even encourage their wives to seek employment outside the home. In numerous cases the television is a baby sitter for the children. Many other things could be said concerning this widespread problem, but they are obvious. But the root of the trouble is not so obvious. It is, however, revealed in the Word of God.

Following are some of the scriptures that help to give a proper perspective in this very important matter.

...Every inclination of his [man's] heart is evil from childhood (Gen. 8:21a).

Honor your father and your mother.... (Ex. 20:12).

Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother (Dt. 27:16a).

[The Lord said] And what happens to your [Eli's] two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you---they will both die on the same day....I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family---from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them (1 Sam. 2:34, 3:11-13).

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry (1 Sam. 15:23a).

Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die (Prov. 23:13).

Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death (Prov. 23:14).

The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother (Prov. 29:15).

...The Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in (Prov. 3:12).

Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul (Prov. 29:17).

...And as he [Elisha] was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him...And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the woods, and tare forty and two children of them (2 Kings 2:23-24).

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him (Prov. 22:15).

A wise son accepts his father's discipline, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke (Prov. 13:1).

A fool spurns his father's discipline... (Prov. 15:5).

A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully.... (Prov. 17:2).

To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool (Prov. 17:21).

A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him (Prov. 17:25).

A foolish son is his father's ruin... (Prov. 19:13).

Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying (Prov. 19:18).

Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right (Prov. 20:11).

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Prov. 22:6).

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer. 17:9).

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right (Eph. 6:1).

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord (Col. 3:20).

He [an overseer] must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (1 Tim. 3:4).

On my [Jesus'] account...children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death (Mt. 10:18, 21).

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be...disobedient to their parents... (2 Tim. 3:1-2).

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