I sat in the back of church one Sunday and watched a family struggling. One of their boys was being defiant at EVERY turn. He was told to stand while singing with the rest of the church. He wouldn’t. Finally, Dad intervened and, with anger in his eyes, PHYSICALLY made him stand. The wobbly-legged, defiant child was standing, but then he fell to the floor. Mom and Dad had about had it. Been there? Me, too. I remember getting so angry, not because they were sinning, but because they were disrespecting my authority. That’s more of an idol in our life than disciplining our kids to be Christ-followers, right? Their defiance is sin—sin separates us from God, which is why we need a Savior. Explain it to them.

Suggested Reading: Romans 3:23, Romans 10:9-10