Christian Family Services Ministry

11-27-2018 – A Word to the Wise – The terrible twos and threes mark the beginning of Satan’s efforts to seed rebellion. A mixture of methods achieves this. Satan uses the failures of the parent to undermine the child’s trust in authority. Two major foundational character traits are susceptible to impairment at this early age.

One is the feeling of security. Feelings of rejection caused by a lack of discipline inspire insecurity in a child. The other impairment comes in the area of obedience. Disrespect for authority by misuse, harsh, provocative or abusive discipline results in disobedience. Inconsistent, unfair, unjust, or impatient discipline creates a lack of trust in authority. Provocation and abuse, on the other hand, create hostility in the child towards authority.

As a child observes inconsistencies in parental admonitions, he loses confidence in the parent. With the loss of confidence comes insecurity in the love of the parent. The child reasons that if the parent cannot be trusted then I must trust only in myself. Thus, for self-protection, the child develops an attitude of disobedience.

While inconsistency breeds disobedience, abuse on the other hand, engenders hostility towards authority resulting in rebellion. Much of the crime occurring with juveniles today, in large part, is a result of abuse by parents. That is not to say abusive parental discipline is the only cause of all rebellion. However, in large measure, the open hostility of teenagers toward any manner of authority, traces back to immature attitudes on the part of the parent. There is a heavy price to pay for immaturity by both parent and child.

I believe that some forms of Attention Deficit Disorder are part of the consequences for these attitudes. Disobedience, I believe, accounts for the rise of ADD symptoms in preschool children. Why do these particular symptoms appear as ADD?

With the decision that the authority is untrustworthy comes confusion. This confusion detracts the child. Personal observation and experience backed by Biblical admonitions, suggests that each time we are obedient the spirit, body, and the emotions experience a physiological and psychological boost. Inversely, disobedience leads to a physical experiential loss of energy.

I feel, in part, that this is a fulfillment of God’s many warnings of the consequences for disobedience and the blessings of obedience. There are over one hundred biblical passages connecting obedience with good health and the lengthening of life. There are numerous more which connect disobedience with impaired health and shortened life span.