HOW CAN THEY DO IT?

Continuing our discussion on children learning to obey:

I know, dear mothers, it's easier said than done to teach our children to obey. One mother wrote that her young daughter flatly refuses to obey her! What on earth can we do? We are not dealing with robots. Do you sometimes wish they were robots who would just do everything you asked? Instead, we are dealing with flesh and blood. Yes, I said the word, flesh.

We all have our sinful fleshly nature which is disobedient, selfish, and rebellious. This is a big enemy to fight in our children. How can they learn to be obedient without the power of the Holy Spirit helping them?

This is why I believe that we should pray for our children to come to an experience of salvation at a young age. In 2 Timothy 3:15 Paul reminds Timothy that "From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." It is the Scriptures that prepare our children to receive Christ.

Read the Word to your children daily. Pray that God will prepare their hearts to receive Him. When they receive Christ into their hearts, they have the power of the Holy Spirit living within them to help them fight against the flesh. You are then able to teach them how to live in victory. You teach them, as you seek to do yourself, to say no to the flesh and yes to the Holy Spirit.

When your child is in a rebellious state you can say to them, "This is your sinful nature that is wanting you to be like this. This is your "old man." But God has given you a "new man." You have Jesus living in you and He wants you to be obedient, loving, and kind. Stand up strong and say no to this bad spirit, and instead, say yes to Jesus." Then pray with them that God will help them to yield to Christ who lives in them instead of their sinful flesh.

Your children can learn from a young age the principles of walking in the Spirit which is the only way to victory for adults and children.

Love from Nancy Campbell