Parenting God’s WaySample

Areas for Successful Parenting: Authority

Submission to authority is an area of life that many find difficult. But peace with God is impossible without submission to His authority. Therefore, as you teach your children the importance of submitting to authority, the overarching truth they must learn is that God is the primary authority over everyone and everything (Ps. 103:19).

Romans 14:12 reminds us that “each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” And the words of 2 Corinthians 5:10 are another helpful reminder of our accountability to God’s authority—and the immense value of right choices: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

Remind your children that God sees all things (Ps. 11:4). This awareness should have a sobering as well as motivating effect, so be careful to stress the positive side. Children who understand they can’t escape their accountability to God will be more likely to do what’s right, even when no other authority figure is present (for example, when alone with friends, when they begin dating, or when they go away to college). And if making godly choices becomes a lifestyle, your children can develop a wonderful relationship of love, rather than fear, with a heavenly Father who delights to reward the good they do in secret (Matt. 6:4).

Accountability to God is followed by accountability to parents. God’s Word tells children to “obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Eph. 6:1). Your children should be aware that God requires them to be obedient to you. At the same time, you’re required to give them godly instruction and not to be overly harsh with them (Eph. 6:4). Scripture also requires submission to the authority figures God places over us. These include church leaders and schoolteachers, as well as police officers, civil authorities, and employers. Teach your children that submission to these authorities is required by God (Rom. 13:1). Be sure to model a respectful attitude toward authority, for example when expressing political opinions or discussing workplace situations. As your children learn this attitude from you, they’ll be less inclined toward rebellion in their own lives and better equipped to submit to authority graciously, even as adults. 

A child who accepts the authority of God and others will develop humility, personal responsibility, and integrity, and will be “well-pleasing to the Lord” (Col. 3:20). Therefore, make this principle essential as you seek to teach your children godly ways. The peace with God that can be theirs only through obedience in this area is priceless.

Digging Deeper

1. As I observe my children’s behavior, can I identify a general willingness to submit to authority? Or must I build their sense of accountability to God and other authority figures (while maintaining the assurance of unconditional love that they so need)?

2. Does our family practice daily submission to authority, such as observing traffic laws, willingly paying taxes, and showing honor to church leadership?

3. Have I been careful to impress on my children that they will one day stand before God’s throne to account for their lives? How can I help them stay mindful of this fact in a way that brings joy and excitement, rather than fear and resentment?