Colossians 3:20:  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 

This is a sweeping, all encompassing statement isn’t it?  Obey your parents in everything.  In the Greek the word everything, means everything.  You can’t escape this one students.  So ‘everything’ includes your parents’ boundaries and rules on things such as technology, friendships, relationships, what you do with your free time, how you are to approach school or the handling of money, and on the list goes.

If you’re a student that has a parent or parents who are abusive in some way, this is not a verse that justifies that sinful behavior.  So if you’re in that kind of abuse, you need to talk to a leader at your church or school.  You are loved, and it is not God’s design for you to be abused or mistreated in the name of obedience.

As long as children are living under the protection of their parents, children are expected to obey their parents.  If they are still paying your bills, they are still calling the shots.  When you get a job and live on your own, or you get married and leave the house, then you come out from under that obligation to obey, and yet, you’re still called to honor.  So yes, you can have some dialogue about some things, and you should, but you’re not Biblically obligated to obey them at that point.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Students, Jesus is the example here.  Jesus obeyed His Father in Heaven.  Jesus even obeyed His earthly parents.  You see this at the end of Luke, chapter 2.  He was the very Son of God, and yet He willingly came under the authority of the parents God had given Him.

Now the default mode of our hearts is, we don’t like authority.  We’re not fans of other people telling us what to do.  Even if you’re the compliant kid, there is something in you that kind of grinds a bit when you are told what to do.  You may not show it externally because you’ve got all that down, unlike the strong willed kid who will keep it real and let you know what they think.  But even if you’re the compliant kid, you’d have to admit that you don’t always obey with gladness and joy in your heart.

Students, your obedience to your parents has a purpose.  For one, it pleases the Lord like the verse says.  It brings Him glory.  It causes your friends to go, what is up with you?  And then a door opens up, and you tell that you’re just trying to walk with Jesus as first, as Lord of your life, and so as a result, you want to obey and honor your parents.

Your obedience to your parents is also preparing you for life.  It is helping you understand authority.  You will experience authority in school, in sports and other activities, in your jobs, in your church, and in life.  Even more than that, it is preparing you to serve and love Jesus with the rest of your life.  If you learn to humble yourself and obey your parents, you will learn to humble yourself and obey your Father in Heaven.  If you learn to listen to your parents’ voice, you will learn to listen to His voice.  If you learn to say ‘yes’ to your parents, you will learn to say ‘yes’ to the Lord when He calls you to follow Him, and go there, and say this.

Your home is the training ground for a life of obeying, following, loving, and trusting in a Heavenly Father who loves you and cares for you and has your best interests in mind, both on the earth and for eternity.

Parents, I believe the question we must ask ourselves, is are we setting the example in obeying the Father?  If you’re in Christ, you’ve been adopted into the family and you’re now a son or daughter of the King.   So are you obeying your Father in all things?  We can’t expect our children to do what we’re unwilling to do.  Or we can’t expect our children to only follow what we say, and not what we do.  They will follow what you say with your way of life, not necessarily just what you say with your lips.