Recently I came across a web site called, βLies Moms Tell Their Kids To Get Them To Behave.β One mom was so tired of her kids misbehaving while shopping that she told them the storeβs security cameras were actually Santa-cams that had a direct feed to the North Pole, and if they misbehaved,Β Santa would know.
Of course, Paul gives aΒ differentΒ reason why children should obey their parents, saying,
βChildren, obey your parents in the Lord:Β for this is rightβΒ (Ephesians 6:1).
This verse is positively sublime in its splendor and simplicity, for it supplies parents with the answer to the eternal question of βwhy?β You tell your son to do something, and he asks, βWhy?β Instead of replying with the usual, βBecause I said so,β next time try, βBecause Godβs Word says that obeying me is the right thing to do!β Thatβs also a much better reason to ask children to behave than to win the favor of some mythical North Pole elf!
But children are not the only ones whom God calls upon to behave. Paul told Titus,
βBut speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patienceβ (Titus 2:1,2).
Did you notice that Paul didnβt just tell aged menΒ howΒ to behave, he told themΒ whyΒ their behavior should honor the Savior? He pointed out that the things he mentions here are βthe things which become sound doctrine.β That word βbecomeβ means to make something look good, and making sound doctrine look good is something thatΒ allΒ Christians should aspire to do! source
