Teaching A Girl Responsibility Part 2
1. Obedience
The most important aspect of following God's word is the ability to obey His word in all trust and faith. God has provided for us in every way if only we are willing to follow His lead, and this is the first lesson a child needs to learn in the family. As God has provided for His chosen people, so a father provides for his family, and the attitude of trustful obedience is the same towards the father and towards God. A father has the responsibility for all his family before God, and will be held accountable for all of them as well as for his own life on the Last Day. So his godly guidance is essential for the family, and all members, wives and children, show their love for the husband and father in trustful obedience, just like the whole house shows its love for God by obeying His word and command.
So teaching children obedience starts with the obedience of their mothers to their husband, and can be enhanced by showing the children the benefit of this attitude, though understanding why a certain thing needs to be done a certain way is not essential. We are to obey God's word no matter if we understand the reason behind His commandment, for we trust that He commands what is beneficial for us. The same trustful attitude we need to instill in our children, and that is done by living it ourselves as mothers and wives as well as by expecting and demanding it from our children. Consistency is important here as always, and also the broader view that obedience is a sign of love and trust, and that practicing obedience in the family means learning a vital skill when it comes to following God's word.
2. Reliability
Another important thing to learn is to be a reliable part of the whole. God gave each member of the family his and her appointed role, and within it, it is our responsibility to fulfill our duties readily and to the best of our ability, so that the other family members can rely on us as we rely on them. Being lazy means to squander time, just like being neglectful of your chores means squandering the contribution you can make to the family. Avoiding both is crucial to learning how to act responsibly as a good steward, and to be a reliable part of the family.
Read on here:
Teaching A Girl Responsibility Part 3
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