Respect Our Children

I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.

Matthew 11:25

In many cultures, children are to be seen and not heard or, in some cases, not seen at all. There’s this impression that they don’t deserve to be respected or heard; rather, they need to give all the respect and only listen to their elders.

Of course, there is truth to the fact that children need to learn to listen and respect their elders due to their limited exposure to the world. However, this doesn’t mean that their opinions, insight, or input should be cast away. Nor does it mean that they don’t deserve an apology when they have been offended by their parents.

As mothers, we need to pay attention to how we give and receive respect from our children. If we offend or mistreat our children out of our carnal nature, we need to own up to it and ask forgiveness. There are times our children will need to be disciplined for their sinful actions; however, we need discernment to understand the difference between sinful behavior and childlike behavior. Not all childish behavior needs to be corrected with harsh discipline—we need to demonstrate God’s patience and the enduring love that He shows to us.

Think about it: As daughters of God, we don’t always behave properly, and it doesn’t have to be sin. Yet God in His unconditional love leads us towards the right way. We should model God’s example to our children in the same way. We don’t give respect to our children because they necessarily deserve it. We give them respect because they are made in the image of God, just as we are.

As we mother in wisdom and discernment, our children grow up confident in God’s love and our love as well. They become free to know God’s voice and walk in a right relationship with Him instead of being fearful of a wrathful, vengeful God.