Good Kids Eph. 6:1-3 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Good kids are children who do what the Bible says.  We know that the proportion of children who believe and obey the Bible today is much smaller than the proportion of kids who don’t.  So it is becoming less and less likely, with each successive generation, that kids are going to grow up to be good Christians and good citizens.  Nevertheless, there are still some children who are good kids.

Good kids are obedient – Eph 6:1-3 – they are children who do what their mother and father tell them to do and who honor their parents.  It is never hard to obey good parents.  You won’t always be able to do what you want to do.  But that will cut out a lot of foolishness and you will never have to worry about being in trouble.  According to Lam 3:27 children can be given chores and they can be trusted to carry out their chores.  They learn how to take orders at a young age and they learn how to fulfill their duty.  If you have a child who is stubborn and rebellious you will have very little effect on him until he is willing to obey and submit to your authority.  You must be in control of yourself, you must be consistent and stable in your interactions with him and you must be faithful to the Lord, regardless of what your child chooses to do.

Good kids are reprovable – Prov 6:23 – they will take reproof.  The reproofs of instruction are the way of life.  Kids who hate instruction and despise reproof [Prov 5:12-13] have a hard time in childhood and often grow up to be incorrigible adults.  Reproof is not always easy to take, but children who can take it learn because they recognize that reproof is good for them.  As they mature, you can reprove them and they will only get better.  We say of men who will make it in the ministry, “They are teachable or they have a teachable spirit.”  That’s a good thing.

Good kids are godly – 2 Tim 3:15 – they get saved at a young age, they grow in their own spirituality and they read the Bible for themselves.  Jesus knew enough of the words of God when he was 12 [Lk 2:42-47] to astonish others with his understanding and answers.  Through responding to Bible preaching and teaching, good children develop good spiritual attributes and moral character such as honesty, integrity, trustworthiness and charity.  We sometimes have the idea that children are too young to be this responsible.  But the Lord doesn’t think so.  In 2 Ki 2:23-24, little children, who mocked Elisha, were attacked by two she bears.  To Elisha, they should have known better than to mock the man of God.

Good kids are wise – Prov 13:20 – now they don’t start out wise.  Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child [Prov 22:15].  But as you bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, that foolishness should be driven far from them.  A good kid will make wise choices and will choose wise friends.  When children run with fools they act like fools.

Conclusion: There are certainly other characteristics of good kids but these are the principle ones.  Be very careful about beating yourself up if your child doesn’t turn out to be a good kid.  Adam and Eve, God’s children, didn’t turn out so hot.  Manasseh, the worst king Judah ever had [2 Ki 21:11], was the son of Hezekiah, one of the best kings that Judah ever had [2 Ki 18:1-7].  Sometimes good dads have rotten kids [Ezek 18:5-13].  And sometimes terrible dads have fabulous kids [Ezek 18:10-18].  It is better not to blame yourself for their bad behavior or to take all the credit when they turn out right.