Welcome to Day 2!
Read: The Importance of Obedience
Like Brooke, from very early on, we used the word “obey” with Jonathan. We wanted him to understand Biblical language and make the leap from obeying us to obeying God. As moms,
“…we MUST teach our sons to obey us.”
If our boys don't learn to obey and submit to our authority now, they will spend the rest of their lives bucking authority and improperly trying to assert their authority over others.
Study Questions
The other night, I watched as Jacob tried to pull a velcro label off a low drawer in our office / schoolroom. I told him no and moved his hand away. He went for it again. I said no and moved his hand. This was repeated over and over again. It was the first time I've had to tell him no. The next afternoon, he did the same thing with Josh and then tried to maneuver his body so Josh couldn't see him as he pulled at the label. Even at Jacob's age, we have to start teaching obedience.
Earlier this year, we created a behavior and chore chart for Jonathan. See this post to see what is on the chart and how it works. Obey Mommy and Daddy is one of the cards on the chart. After a warning, he goes to yellow and then red and losing tickets as needed for continued disobedience.
Just after Jonathan made the decision to become a Christ-follower, we noticed a surge in behavior and obedience issues with him. It hit us on Mother's Day that this was a spiritual attack on Jonathan in response to his big decision. Josh and I resolved to stand firm. We sat down and prayed with Jonathan. We talked to him about his disobedience. He said, “I want to obey, but I just don't do it. I do the bad thing instead.” (Can you hear the Apostle Paul's words here?) Then we knew for sure that he was dealing with serious temptation and spiritual attack.
Now, we repeatedly talk to him about how God expects him to obey us. Part of our time out routine is reminding Jonathan to talk to God. To ask for forgiveness for not obeying. To ask God to help him make good choices and to obey God and us.
Pray: Obedience
Pray the scriptures regarding obedience over your boys.
Now, it is your turn! Leave a comment with your thoughts and reflections.