Parenting No-No's from the Life of the High Priest Eli

 Anybody else read 1 Samuel chapter 2 and see some commonalities in the way many people raise their children today?

I don't think we can, or should, expect the world at large to apply God's Word to their parenting. But when those in the Church don't take the Bible seriously enough to allow it to influence the way they raise their children, well, there's a problem. A big one.

The Lord is holy.

The story of Eli's wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas, reminds us of this truth with total clarity and unwavering certainty.

God. Is. Holy. 

When we allow our children to take God's holiness for granted, to run amuck in sin and depravity, we err terribly. And our errors will result in grave and serious consequences, for us and for our children. As if that were not enough, the Church as a whole will be negatively impacted.

I'm not saying that our children's behavior is the end-all, be-all. And I'm not saying that parents are 100% responsible for every big and every little thing they're children do, from cradle to grave. I'm not adding to what the Bible says in the 2nd chapter of the book of 1 Samuel, either. 

Facts is facts, and the facts in this true tale state that Eli's sons were wicked, and Eli failed to completely adhere to and obey what the Law had to say about their behavior.

Do we ever do this?

Of course, those who are in Christ are no longer under the Law, but are under the New Covenant. We are under grace - thank You, Jesus! But God's holiness has not lessoned in our day, and we still ought to care more about the Lord God Most High and His holiness than we care about anything else...including our children's particular views on subject matter and sinful behaviors that have been definitively dealt with in the pages of our Bibles. 

The signs of the times are all around us, pointing to the very soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

We have so little time remaining...there is none to waste. And we dishonor the Lord and do our children no favors when we coddle them along the path of life. When we allow them to run the home, to make their own decisions, to push back against what the Bible has to say about things that are wicked and sinful and being accepted as "normal" by society - well, then we fail as Christian parents because we fail to have Christ as the center of our parenting. 

...Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord...(verse 12, New Living Translation)

Do we have enough respect for our Lord that we obey Him wholeheartedly, even in our parenting? Even when our children push back against our leadership? Do we revere Him as holy? If so, what does that look like in our life, actually? Have they been allowed to compromise with the world, doing what the Bible says ought not to be done? Do we call such things "struggles" when the Bible calls them "sins"? 

I may not make any new friends as a result of this blog post, and I would not be surprised if I lost a few. But none of my "friends" has laid down their life for me, paid the price for my sin-debt, and offered me eternal life. Only Jesus has done that for me, and I have allegiance to none but Him. 

May I end this post with a contrast that could shed a bit more clarity on this subject? 

In particular, let's take sexual immorality, in all its varied and twisted vices, and use it as a means of making my point crystal clear. 

Jesus said this: "You have heard the commandment that says, 'You must not commit adultery.' But I say that anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:27-28, New Living Translation

When we say that our teen is struggling with sexual sin or with their sexual identity, but they haven't acted on it, we are in stark disagreement with the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the Savior of the world said that when we look with lust, we have already committed the act of adultery, why do we think we can say that not "acting" on sinful, lustful feelings is somehow not sin? We are out of our depth, above our pay grade, and lying to ourselves and to our teens when we follow this line of thinking and apply it to our parenting. 

When will we, the people who comprise the Church that bears His name (not our name - but His!) stop placating our children, dishonoring our God, and do what He has called us to do? Which is, first and foremost, to take Him and His Word seriously enough that we live by it and allow it to be the Truth that changes our lives and makes a difference for His Kingdom. If not now, when? 

 If you are dealing with these kinds of issues in your home, can I strongly encourage you to take on the role God entrusted you with and allow the Bible to influence your parenting? Don't put off until later what you know you ought to do right now. 

The book of James tells us that when we know the good we ought to do but fail to do it, that is sin. (from James chapter 4).

I know this is a touchy topic, but that does not mean that it is one to be avoid until later. Later doesn't usually come when we use it as an excuse to avoid doing the hard work of parenting Biblically. And we aren't actually parenting per the Bible if we only imagine that we are using God's Word as our guidebook, while failing to actually apply it.

Lord bless you on your parenting journey, and may He give you all the strength you need to parent well in this dark and sinful era. 

Psalm 91 - Pray It & Believe Course with Jan L. Burt available now.