I want to start a revolution!!  Not to take over the country or its leadership, I want to start a revolution to have respectful obedient children who will then grow into respectful, thoughtful, God fearing adults.

Actually when I thought about this comment I decided I did want to take over the country.  I want our children, our Godly young adults to rise up and lead us into the future, to be respectful, God fearing leaders of our country.

It seems to me these days the authority in homes is all back to front. The children run the home with the parents just trying to keep up and do what they are told.

When I grew up my parents were older (in their 40’s when we were adopted) and they had old fashioned morals and manners.

We were taught to wait for the adults to get their food at luncheons and we were to be seen and not heard, at the tables of my grandparents.  My parents weren’t that strict and we were allowed to converse.  My point is we were taught and brought up to respect our parents and adults.  I still call my parents friends Mr and Mrs.

When we have church we have morning tea afterwards and it seems to me that the food is only there for the children or that’s what they think.  There is no training the children to wait and let everyone arrive before they dive in, they aren’t taught to not stick their fingers in the sugar bowl and then lick them, it’s like a swarm of locusts.  Actually there is no training.  Training seems to be a thing of the past.

Parents don’t want to discipline, they don’t want to smack, either it’s too hard or they just don’t care.

I partly think our society has made it just too hard.  We are not allowed to apply the rod of reproof to our children without fear of the authorities, without fear of having our children taken away from us, but it is our God given role to discipline and apply that rod.

There is a difference between applying the rod of reproof and belting the living daylights out of a child.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod of reproof gives wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Let us care, let us stand up and say “WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH”.  Our children are too precious to us to allow them to have no respect for adults or us or any authority.

We teach our children to say hello, to look people in the eyes, to say thank you for any gifts or comments.  They are taught to ask before eating, they are not allowed into our fridge (or anyone else’s for that matter) without permission.

They are encouraged to sit through church without any entertainment, because we are there to worship our Lord not draw or eat, and with training they can sit.

Both our boys have been adventurous to say the least. No 1 son is 19 now and has matured past his running everywhere and do everything mode, No 2 son is 7 and is still getting there.

That is ok though, it is alright to run around and be adventurous but it is not ok to be adventurous through church.  It is not ok to be noisy or disrespectful during worship.

We have proven that even the busiest child can be trained to sit still. It takes times and energy and discipline in ourselves, especially when they are little, but the reward far out weighs the effort that we need to put in.

There are so many scriptures that support the discipline of our children.  Proverbs is just a wealth of advice on how to raise our children and apply that discipline.

Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.

Then there are scriptures that encourage our children to obey us and honour us as their parents.

Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honour your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

My husbands grandmother lived until she was 100 and our older children always said that she must have obeyed and honoured her parents.

Our younger 2 children do not like rebuke and discipline, they both deal with it in different ways.  One let’s it go quicker than the other and moves on, but they both come and say they love us and I feel that these are the boundries they need to be respectful young adults.

It concerns me that the generation that is being brought up now will be so self focused they will think the world owes them a living.  Their parents have given them everything they have ever wanted, because it was easier than not and they will expect that their whole lives.  They will have no respect for authority because they don’t understand the order of our lives, they won’t honour their parents.

So I want to start a revolution and I want you to join me.  Let us raise Godly, respectful, disciplined children because this is the way God wants us to be.

Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Give it a go, you’ll be amazed at what your children can achieve and how more settled they will be when they understand and accept the order of authority in their lives.