Obedience Plants Deep Roots in Kids
"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." - Colossians 3:20
Raising children isn’t about controlling every action in the moment. It’s about building a foundation that shapes who they become years from now. Obedience, at its core, is not just about following instructions today, but developing a heart that responds rightly to authority, especially God's.
Paul doesn’t say children should obey just to make things easier at home. He says it pleases the Lord. Ephesians adds to this by tying obedience to a promise. A future marked by strength and stability. When kids learn to honor their parents early on, they’re planting seeds that can grow into a life anchored in truth.
That kind of obedience won’t happen by default. Children are not born bent toward submission or righteousness. This is why your role is so important. You’re not just correcting misbehavior or teaching good manners. You’re shaping character. Every instruction, every boundary, every loving correction is forming a deeper understanding of how to respond to God’s Word and His authority.
What you model matters just as much as what you say. Your example of following Jesus teaches them what humble obedience looks like. Your consistency helps them know where the line is. And your grace reminds them that love is not earned by performance.
This is a long road. Some days will feel like a grind. Others may leave you wondering if anything is sinking in. But every moment of training matters. Each conversation and correction contributes to a bigger picture.
As the years pass and the roots grow deeper, those truths begin to take hold. When life gets difficult and culture presses in, the strength of those early lessons will show. Trees with strong roots survive the storm. Your investment today shapes that strength for tomorrow.
Raising children isn’t about controlling every action in the moment. It’s about building a foundation that shapes who they become years from now. Obedience, at its core, is not just about following instructions today, but developing a heart that responds rightly to authority, especially God's.
Paul doesn’t say children should obey just to make things easier at home. He says it pleases the Lord. Ephesians adds to this by tying obedience to a promise. A future marked by strength and stability. When kids learn to honor their parents early on, they’re planting seeds that can grow into a life anchored in truth.
That kind of obedience won’t happen by default. Children are not born bent toward submission or righteousness. This is why your role is so important. You’re not just correcting misbehavior or teaching good manners. You’re shaping character. Every instruction, every boundary, every loving correction is forming a deeper understanding of how to respond to God’s Word and His authority.
What you model matters just as much as what you say. Your example of following Jesus teaches them what humble obedience looks like. Your consistency helps them know where the line is. And your grace reminds them that love is not earned by performance.
This is a long road. Some days will feel like a grind. Others may leave you wondering if anything is sinking in. But every moment of training matters. Each conversation and correction contributes to a bigger picture.
As the years pass and the roots grow deeper, those truths begin to take hold. When life gets difficult and culture presses in, the strength of those early lessons will show. Trees with strong roots survive the storm. Your investment today shapes that strength for tomorrow.
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