It's extremely difficult for an undisciplined person to live by Biblical principles. Why?
The Bible is a book of discipline. As Christians we are asked to turn the other cheek, forgive, sacrifice, love and work without grumbling. I'm sure you can make a list of hundreds of ways the Bible asks us to forego our human desires in favor of Godly disciplines.
Spoiled children can be touched by the hand of God. He can call them to his side and he will always love them. But when a spoiled child tries to implement the directions of his faith....he will need extra help to do so. He will have to travel twice the distance a disciplined child would have to travel. A child that has been properly disciplined and is able to sit quietly during service will have an easier time spending time in prayer. A child that has been taught to share toys with a sibling won't have trouble understanding or participating in the act of tithing. A child that has been taught to wait for something he wants will have no trouble waiting on God's provision.
The following verses are about Chastening. They explain how important it is to allow God to chasten us...to reprimand us...to train us. Deut. 8:5, Job 5:17, Job 23:10, Job 34:31,32, Psa. 66:10, Psa. 94:12, Psa. 119:67, Psa. 119:71, Prov. 3:11 &12, Prov. 17:3, Isa. 1:25, Isa. 48:10, Zech. 13:9, Heb 12:5-6, Heb. 12:11 and Rev. 3:19. There are many more than these.
How hard is it going to be for an undisciplined child to take the reprimands or chastisement of Almighty God? God wants to mold and blend our lives until we burst forth as pure gold. When he returns he is looking for a church without spot or wrinkle. How can an untrained child comply with such tough principles?
Spoiled Children will be frustrated and angry when your faith seems to deprive them of what they want. They won't see God's hand in their lives, they will only feel anger because he doesn't cater to their desires. Our personalities and attitudes aren't parked at the door when we become Christians. Those desires and tendencies will be just as strong and just as hard to control. I hope I don't step on anyone's toes here....but I've always thought the name it and claim it seekers were responding to God in the same way that spoiled children demand things from their parents. While I'm sure many of them are pure at heart, I've wondered how they would feel if God actually sent them an e-mail that read..."I said NO! Not now!" Would they think that he was being mean or not keeping a promise?
A dedicated disciplined believer is one who proclaims like Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him." It takes a strong willed, disciplined person to have that kind of faith.
Yes, I've seen the hand of God totally reform an undisciplined person. But it's rare. Most undisciplined teens simply can't bend their knee and bow to the will of God.
This leads me to only one thought. Do you want to take the chance that after a teen has given their heart to the Lord he/she will give up because they don't have the tools provided by discipline? Would you want to know that your teen couldn't remain a Christian because keeping his commandments just seemed too hard. At that point....your child is in danger. His soul is up for grabs with any spirit that "feels" good or easier. At that point, he/she must decide whether to keep fighting their undisciplined nature or choose to give up and quit.
The best protection you have to be sure your child will accept your faith is to teach and administer discipline from the moment of birth. It's not hard. It does take time. The good news is that it will not only make your home calmer and easier, it will pave the path for your child to accept your faith.
My favorite verse is Prov. 22:6 I believe it is talking about discipline as well as faith. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Seeking His Wisdom
Debbie
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