2 Samuel 13-14

David gave Absalom “time out.” isn’t that what we call the discipline parents give their children these days? A kid does something wrong so Mom and Dad tell her to get in the corner. If the child is three, time out is three minutes. Four minutes for a four-year-old. And, for most parents, that’s the extent of any discipline in their home.

So David gave Absalom time out, and it appears that was the extent of any discipline in that home, too. The problem is, Absalom was an adult and the wrong thing he did was murder.

Yes, Amnon had raped Absalom’s sister. Absalom had planned revenge for years, waiting for the right moment to end Amnon.

Amnon had deserved to be punished for violating Tamar, but not even David the King bothered with any form of discipline. Even though Amnon was his own son, and Tamar was his daughter.

Come on, Dad. Be the parent!

David’s refusal to discipline Amnon lead to his death and to David’s conflict with Absalom.

Come on, parents! You need only to turn on your TV to see the result of an undisciplined generation. These young people are products of the parenting phylosophy of :

Don’t let your children see you angry.
Don’t spank.
Don’t make your child feel guilty or bad about themselves.
Talk your child out of his bad behavior.
Redirect.
Give them time out.

If you have young children in your home you have got to get a grip. You have got to be the adult. You have got to teach your children what is expected of them, not expect them to figure it out. You have got to understand and help your child understand he has NO RIGHTS he hasn’t earned.

You’ve got to teach your children that their disobedience DOES anger you, that there is swift and sometimes painful consequences for disobedience, that insolence and manipulation will not be tolerated by you, and that you love them enough to teach them the hard lessons.

I have said it before, and I’ll continue to say that if you don’t teach your children the difference between right and wrong, that there are serious consequences for disobedience, that disobedience angers and disappoints you, and that if they confess and repent you’ll forgive them…

you aren’t preparing them to see their need of a Savior or accept the forgiveness Jesus offers sinners who confess and repent of sin.

David’s refusal to parent caused awful things to happen. It lead to death.

Your refusal to parent can and will do the same. And the death your child will experience might be eternal.

Be the parent.