One of the saddest parenting stories in the Bible is that of the Priest Eli.   His two sons were off the chart greedy and immoral. All Eli did was talk to them.  So, God judged Eli and his family for not taking action. As a former journalist I saw a lot of court cases where those on trial came from terrible backgrounds where parents didn’t take discipline seriously. Now their adult kids were in trouble. Remember: it’s in a child’s job description to oppose our authority at times—and some kids will do this more than others.  But God’s calling on our lives as parents is to be courageous, taking a stand and lovingly insist on obedience. God will reward us for it and our kids, too.

Suggested Reading: Proverbs 13:24, Proverbs 23:13-15