Parents are stewards to whom God has entrusted children for proper care, and He expects to get a good report of their performance in this assignment. In essence, every parent is a caretaker of his or her children. As a parent, how are you carrying out this delicate assignment? Are you handling it with levity or putting in all the effort it requires? Modernization is fast eroding good culture in our children. Many parents in the name of modernization put tight and revealing clothes on their little children when they are going out. How do you expect little girls like that to dress when they become adults? Many parents complain about their teenage children’s choice of clothes and level of sexual exposure, without realising that they are the ones who caused it all. These days, some parents claim they don’t want to “force a religion” on their children, saying they want them to choose for themselves; so, they go to church and leave their children at home sleeping. However, when it comes to education, they force their children to wake up early to go to school. Can’t you see that the devil is already deceiving you into placing your child in his hands? How can you say you want to leave your child to possibly choose something else? Ensure your children go to church and that they read their Bibles. Introduce them to the One who died to save their souls, doing the best you can to ensure that they are saved, and trust God to keep them in the light when they are old enough to be on their own.

It is unfortunate that the devil has also started deceiving people into thinking that using the rod on a child is wrong. You may not agree with me, but I know that God’s word is never wrong. Proverbs 23;13-14 says:
“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.”
In fact, the word of God says if you don’t use the rod on your child, then it means you hate that child (Proverbs 13:24). There is difference between child abuse and chastising a child. You can withhold the cane and still abuse that child, whereas you can use a cane and correct in love. Let us get it clear: our attention should be on correcting with love and not on whether you use the rod or not. The word of God is ever true: if you love your child, you will always instruct that child and will not spare the rod when it is necessary to discipline him or her. Put in your best efforts to ensure that you raise your children God’s way.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.