Rooting Out Rebellion – part 1

 

No parent ever sets out to raise a child who will rebel and yet rebellion happens so often, even within Christian homes with parents who desire for their kids to know and follow God.  Is there anything we can do to avoid having our kids rebel against our parental authority and against God?  First let’s look at what rebellion is:

 

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines rebellion as open resistance to lawful authority, to revolt. 

 

Stormie Omartian in her book Power of a Praying Parent  says that “rebellion is really pride put into action.”

 

God’s Word tells us in 1 Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.”  In Proverbs 17:11, we find that “an evil man is bent only on rebellion.”  God hates rebellion.  As Christians, we teach our children to obey but the church has a problem.

 

George Barna, in his book Revolutionary Parenting, writes that not even ½ our young people (46%) believe that their religious faith is very important in their lives.  Six out of ten admit they live for things other than loving God with all their hearts, minds, strength, and soul.” Barna’s national surveys of 13 yr olds reveal that most of them think they already know everything of significance in the Bible (hence, they are no longer open to learning or actively studying the Scriptures). Also, most of them have no intention of continuing to attend a church when they are in their twenties and living on their own. (That is pride in action, wise in their own eyes!)

 

Barna also tells us these things about Christian youth:

  

   63% don’t believe Jesus is the Son of the one true God

   58% believe all faiths teach equally valid truths

   51% don’t believe Jesus rose from the dead

 

Many more statistics could be given about lifestyle choices these kids are making based on their beliefs and worldview.  Choices like premarital sex, drugs, alcohol, cheating, lying, etc.  and these kids are from Christian homes!  What is wrong?  Why is this happening?  How can we keep this from happening to our own children?  How do we keep our kids from rebelling?

  

First we need to realize that rebellion is not in a teen’s nature.  It’s human nature!  We all struggle with the desire to rebel.  We know our children have sinful nature’s.  (See Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, Ecc. 7:20, Isaiah 53:6, etc.!) We also know that God commands us to teach and train our children to obey.. ( See Deut. 6:4-7, Proverbs 22:15, Proverbs 22:6, etc.!)  The Bible gives us a road map to teach them and that is a reason for great hope!  But we must follow the map! 

 

As I prayed over my children and the threat of rebellion in their lives, I believe that God showed me from His Word 5 Reasons for Rebellion - five things that get to the root of the problem.  In my next few blogs, I will share these reasons and what we can do about them with you.