Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
This passage of scripture is as plain as it gets, for it admonishes children to obey their parents in the Lord, because this course of action on the part of children results in their well being and longevity upon the earth. And the converse is also true, for those kids who foster the seeds of rebellion to parental authority are indeed robbing themselves of length of days, because the same attitude is carried over into later life, affecting their interaction with state and federal authorities, and often bringing them into a collision course with local law enforcement. The child who is averse to obeying his or her parents, will also refuse to obey the various secular laws which govern communities and municipalities.
The mandatory use of seat belts as a precautionary measure will seem too restrictive, and the various speed limits that are established throughout the state will be disregarded as being too prohibitive, and as a result, the same disposition manifested earlier in disregarding parental authority, inevitably spills over into their interaction with secular authorities after they have grown and become adults. Now, this is not to say that radical changes cannot be made in the children's attitudes through the power of God, for this has happened very often, time and time again. However, the general tendency is to continue a particular course of action, once it has been embraced as a philosophy of life. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: 19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
The gluttony and the drunkenness referred to above are just spinoffs of the same disposition to refuse all and any God-ordained authority, because the habits here mentioned are the result of disregarding laws on physical heath and well-being. Thus a cycle of disobedience once begun, often goes on to ripen into outright rebellion against God and man, and if it not corrected by the parents very early in the child's life, becomes all the more difficult to uproot later on.
However, there is a mode of thought that both parents and their children should be wary of, for it does not originate in the heavenly courts, nor is it workable in the broader context of the universe, as it is run and managed by God Himself. This doctrine of devils teaches children to render obedience only when explanations are given, or only when they agree with the wishes and commands of the parents. Now, while it is true that children are not to obey commands that put them at odds with the laws of God, such as those which deal with stealing or lying, yet the issue of obedience only after explanations are given can never work, for there are many commands given us by God that we have no clue as to the science or intelligence behind them, yet we are required to render implicit obedience.
If we wait until explanations are given for everything before we obey, we will never obey, for our relationship to God in His capacity as Ruler of the universe, is primarily based on faith, not in the many explanations that may or may not be given. For instance, when the children of Israel were standing on the banks of the Red sea, with pharaoh's hosts in hot pursuit, they were in a quandary as to what they should do. Then the command came down from God for them to forward march straight into the middle of the ocean, which was full of sharks and sting rays, and killer whales, and a host of other predators, waiting for the golden opportunity to do lunch, if anyone dared to invade their territory.
If the Hebrews were to defer prompt obedience until a detailed account of the hows and whys, and the science behind such a command was given, then they would have been devoured by the Egyptian hosts on the banks of the Red sea. Similarly, obedience to one's parents cannot be based primarily on explanations, for then the very important ingredients of faith and trust are eliminated, and the relationship between parents and their children becomes scientifically based, instead of resting squarely on such foundations as trust and love.
Let us therefore encourage that element of trust and implicit obedience in our children, for as stated before, it will most likely be reflected in their relationship with both God and man. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which clearly shows what will be the predominant characteristic in those who will be saved, and it is the will of God that both parents and their children cultivate the disposition of being willing to be led where He leads the way. Let's read:
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!