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

Proverbs 22:6

In chapter 5 of the book of Ephesians, the husband and wife are given instructions on how they should treat one another. They are told to submit and love each other. Then in chapter six, Paul starts talking about the role of children in the family.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth (Ephesians 6:1-3).

I want you to notice what children are to do; they are to obey their parents. They were not told to submit to their parents, they were told to obey. There is a difference between the two.

When you submit to someone it means that you voluntarily surrender your rights or ideas to someone else. You are willing to compromise as an act of humility and respect toward someone.

Children are told to obey their parents because children do not know anything about life. They are to learn from their parents.

Now let me emphasize that Paul said they were to obey their parents "in the Lord". Children are to be raised with Godly morals. God would never have a child abused or taken advantage of by an adult. Whether the parents are Christian or not, they still know right from wrong. If they don’t, then they don’t need to be raising kids. That is just how I feel about that!

Experts tell us that there is a dominate character in every person. That dominate character is 50% developed by the time a child reaches five years old. It is 80% developed by the age of 18. Did you notice that most of this time will be time the child is at home with the parents?

Fifty percent is established by the time they are five. This percentage means there is something more going on than just the terrible twos. The child is establishing a dominate character. It is up to the parents to develop that character in the right way.

Nothing irritates me more than to hear a parent say that they cannot control a little child. What they are telling me is that they have not used the correct form of discipline to cause that child to obey them. Once again, I am not talking about abuse, but I am a great advocate of a belt, willow switch, paddle, fly swat, or whatever will bring the fear of God into the child without any real damage.

Before someone gets mad at me, let me give you some scriptures. I’ll take God’s word over any psychologist and his "time out".

Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell (Proverbs 23:13-14).

The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame (Proverbs 29:15).

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

Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying (Proverbs19:18).

Once again, children do not know how to act; they are supposed to be taught by the parents. It has been my experience in dealing with parents and children, that the parents who start teaching a child to obey while it is still very young usually don’t have to do much chastising as the child grows older. Most the time a sufficient "look" will do the trick.

I have also noticed that the parents who are continually asking a kid not to touch that or do this are always running after the child while it goes on its merry way paying no attention. If you are one of those parents please remember; actions speak louder than words.

The boogie man is going to get you or simply saying I’m going to whip you is not going to hold up long. That child is experimenting, when it finds out there is no boogie man and that I’m going to whip you means nothing, then you are in trouble.

Why is it now politically incorrect to correct a child by spanking? Most of us grew up with the paddle or saw mill belt in the school system, now about all that happens is they are given a day or two off. Now that will break a child’s heart!

We are watching our nation plunge into moral decay. Parents won’t discipline their kids and teachers can’t. Children who weren’t disciplined are now raising kids whom they won’t discipline. This standard of no accountability is now creeping into the leadership of our country.

We must get back to the truths of the bible. Don’t let Oprah and her New Age ideas be what guides your child. We must raise up strong spiritual children who will bring us back to One Nation Under God. Teach your children the right way, remember they will shape the nation.