Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
The overriding principle is that of submission - putting others' needs above our wishes. The daily life of a child often consists of seeing things he/she wants to have or to do - be it things on high shelves, at the store, or that belong to others. Many of those things are good, but also many of them are inappropriate - they are needed by others, belong to others, not the proper thing to have or do at that point in time. These children need direction to develop wisdom and the reality that the world does not revolve around them. Sometimes it seems like we live in a world of children who have not gown up. This did not work for the nation of Israel in the Promised Land and it will not work for the household of God. But like with the Law of the Old Testament, the rules of the household are not meant to be burdensome or suck the life out of the children. Discipline is nurturing, showing how to do it right, and allowing instruction to happen when one makes mistakes. Parents are not to beat up on their children emotionally or physically; that will not help them grow up, or contribute to the household staying together in the Lord.
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