Skip to main content

What does the Bible say to do with a rebellious child?


The child who exhibits a rebellious streak may be doing so for a variety of reasons. Harsh, unloving, and critical parenting will nearly always result in rebellion of some sort. In addition, a certain amount of rebellion against parents is natural in teenagers who are slowly pulling away from their families in the process of establishing lives and identities of their own. Fortunately, it is also true that God has made children who and what they are. He loves them, and He has not left parents without resources to meet the challenge. There are biblical principles that address dealing with the rebellious, strong-willed child with grace.


First, (Proverbs 22:6) tells us to “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” For all children, the way they should go is toward God. Teaching children in God’s Word is crucial for all children, who must understand who God is and how to best serve Him.
With the strong-willed child, understanding what motivates him—the desire for control—will go a long way to helping him find his “way.” The rebellious child is one who must understand that he is not in charge of the world—God is—and that he simply must do things God’s way. This requires parents to be absolutely convinced of this truth and to live accordingly. A parent who is himself in rebellion against God will not be able to convince his child to be submissive. Give him a solid reason for a rule, constantly reiterating the truth that we do things the way God wants them done and that the fact is not negotiable. Explain that God has given parents the responsibility to love and discipline their children and that to fail to do so would mean the parents are disobeying Him. Whenever possible, however, give the child opportunities to help make decisions so that he does not feel completely powerless. For example, going to church is not negotiable because God commands us to gather together with other believers

(Hebrews 10:25), but children can have a say (within reason) in what they wear, where the family sits, etc. Give them projects in which they can give input like planning the family vacation. Further, parenting must be done with consistency and patience. Parents must try not to raise their voices or raise their hands in anger or lose their tempers. This will give the strong-willed child the sense of control he/she longs for, and he/she will quickly figure out how to control you by frustrating you to the point of making you react emotionally. Physical discipline often fails with these kids because they enjoy pushing parents to the breaking point so much that they feel a little pain is a worthwhile price to pay. Parents of strong-willed kids often report the kid laughs at them while they are being spanked, so spanking might not be the best method of discipline with them. Perhaps nowhere in life are the Christian fruits of the Spirit of patience and self-control

(Galatians 5:23) more needed than with the strong-willed/rebellious child. No matter how exasperating parenting these children can be, parents can take comfort in God’s promise not to test us beyond our ability to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). If God gives them a strong-willed child, parents can be sure He has not made a mistake and will provide the guidance and resources they need to do the job. Perhaps nowhere in the life of a parent do the words “pray without ceasing”

(1 Thessalonians 5:17) have more meaning than with the strong-willed youngster. Parents of these children have to spend lots of their time on their knees before the Lord asking for wisdom, which He has promised to provide (James 1:5).

Finally, there is comfort in the knowledge that strong-willed children who are trained well often grow up to be high-achieving, successful adults. Many rebellious children have turned into bold, committed Christians who use their considerable talents to serve the Lord they have come to love and respect through the efforts of their patient and diligent parents.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Got Forgiveness?

How can I receive forgiveness from God? The Answer is Acts 13:38  declares, " Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. " (NIV) What is forgiveness and why do I need it? Define Word " Forgive" means to wipe the slate clean, to pardon, to cancel a debt. when we wrong someone, we seek their forgiveness in order for the relationship to be restored. Forgiveness is not granted because a person deserve to be forgiven. what kind of act to be forgiveness? LOVE, MERCY and GRACE. Forgiveness is a decision to not hold something against another person, despite what they have done to you. The Bible tell us that we all in need of forgiveness from God. We have all committed sin. Ecclesiastes 7:20 proclaims, " For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. " (KJV) 1 John 1:8 says, " If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in...

Need Him: Finding God

Day 1 Revelation 3:20-22 20"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." 21"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." 22"He hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Why am I here? How do I beat this loneliness? What makes my life so hard? Where is that one special relationship? In the moment, you feel like something's missing, something's wrong in your world. Like perhaps there's something you have not done, or someone you don't know but are supposed to. At times you feel you have found it, perhaps in a love relationship, but that feeling never seems to last. Every relationship, even good ones, leave you with this hole in your heart. Something isn't right, but you cannot find it or fix it. So you keep looking, tryin...

Transformation

What does the Bible say about Transformation?  I found a good verse that defined of Transformation. "Change or renewal from a life that no longer conforms to the ways of the world to one that pleases God" (Romans 12:2). How do we know that a person who is transformed from Darkness to Light? The evidence of transformation within us is seen in the way we increasingly contemplate the identicalness and glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). if your body is controlled by the Spirit of God lives in you, then you are controlled NOT by the sinful nature. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, He does not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9). How can we be considered as children of God? We must be led by the Spirit of God. And it is through the power of God's Spirit that Jesus Christ lives within us. For instance of Transformed life mirrors the attitude of the apostle Paul: " I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live , but Christ lives in me. The life I...