Obedience is Not a Bad Word
One of the definitions for obedience in the dictionary is “the act or practice of obeying; dutiful or submissive compliance.” It’s interesting because in today’s culture obedience is frowned on and looked down upon. But in the Bible it shows us that obedience is important to God. Obedience doesn’t make you less of a person, it actually shows that you have respect for God and those that He places in authority.
Children need to learn obedience. It’s important they learn to obey God and to obey their parents. It’s essential they obey their teachers and governing authorities. This will keep them out of trouble and on the right path. The only time they shouldn’t obey an adult in authority is if they tell them to do something that is wrong, such as stealing or harming another person.
The Bible mentions that people who are obedient to God’s laws will be blessed. Luke 11:28 says, “He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it’.” I’ve learned that God has rules in place to keep things orderly and to protect us. Choosing to be obedient to God brings joy and peace to our lives.
But we also have to understand that there is punishment for disobedience. I’m sure we can all think of a time we disobeyed someone in authority and it did not go well. Ephesians 5:6 says, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” Punishment follows disobedience. The Lord is very clear that there will be negative outcomes for choosing to disobey Him. I think of regretful choices that I’ve made in the past that were not worth the painful consequences. And I’m so glad I finally learned to be obedient to God’s ways.
Even though it’s hard we must be obedient to God because it’s not worth the penalties for following our own way when it contradicts the Bible. Our children really need to understand this starting at a young age. We need to build a strong foundation for them in this area, especially before they enter the teenage years, where it gets really difficult with peer pressure. Our kids will need to learn how to be obedient when it comes to Biblical marriage, respecting their body, following laws, managing their money, and other topics.
Parenting Toolkit 4, Lesson 4: Be Obedient is a good lesson that you can simply read aloud to your kids and have a discussion with them. They will learn about obedience in a way that they can understand. It is available for purchase along with other lessons in the toolkit on the Shop Page.
I hope you are encouraged to learn more about being obedient to God and that you will teach it to your children so they can make wise choices and live blessed lives. All things are possible through Christ!