No doubt all Christian parents desire to raise children “in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). It is a great privilege but also a great challenge, requiring constant attention. God tells us to teach our children “when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Dt. 6:7). As parents, we are never off duty.

The life of David provides a startling example. His son Adonijah had initiated a rebellion. It was a sinful act of his own choosing, yet in one sense David was implicated as well. The father had permitted the son’s rebellious spirit to flourish, for David had never told him, “No.”

Christian parents, this is of great importance! When we actively guide and correct our children, they may resist quite vigorously by crying, pouting, yelling, and simply making life quite unpleasant. At that moment it may seem easier just to let them have their own way. But that seed has a very bitter fruit. If children learn defiance when they are young, they are likely to bring us great sorrow when they are older. More importantly, if they learn disrespect as children, they may well disrespect God’s authority as adults. If that statement sounds too strong, consider again the outcome of David’s hands-off parenting style with Adonijah. “A child left to himself brings shame to his mother” (Prov. 29:15).

If you have no children of your own, pray earnestly for those who do! Consistent, godly discipline is very demanding. It carries no guarantee, for children are ultimately responsible for their own actions. Still, Christian parents have a responsibility before God, who also disciplines us; and we are assured that discipline will later produce “the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11).