Transcript
One of the foundational issues in the life of every child is the issue of authority, so teaching and modeling the protective beauty of authority is foundational to good parenting. Here's how God works. This is so beautiful to think about. God makes His invisible authority visible in the lives of children by putting the authority of parents in their lives every day.
Your Authority Is Representative
Now, parents, this is what this means. As a parent, you don't have any independent authority. Your authority is meant to be representative of God's authority. Now, I don't think in the life of a parent there's anything holier than what I'm about to say. That means every time I exercise authority in the life of my child, it must be a beautiful picture of the authority of God because I'm there to teach children that authority is a good thing. It's a beautiful thing. It's a loving thing. It's a patient thing. It's a kind thing. It's a tender thing. It's a forgiving thing. It's a secure thing. It's a faithful thing.
And so, the way that I exercise authority is terribly important. You see, harsh, impatient, irritable, selfish, condemning authority deepens the natural rebellion of a child against, not just your authority, but God's authority. Your job is to teach children how beautiful authority is so, progressively, they find joy in surrendering to the authority God has placed in their life and, ultimately, surrendering their hearts to the authority of God.
