Shepherding a Child's Heart

Circle of Blessing
In Ephesians 6:1–3, God has drawn a circle of great blessing.
Children are to live within the circle of submission to parental
authority.
Submission to parents means HONORING and OBEYING. Within
that circle things will go well and they will enjoy long lives.

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Things Go Well
It is imperative that children learn to honor and obey. It will go
well with them. Their obedience is not secured so that you can be
obeyed for your sake. You must be obeyed for their sakes! They are
the direct beneficiaries of honoring and obeying Mom and Dad. The
disobedient child has moved outside the circle of blessing. The parent
must quickly restore the child to the proper relationship with God and
the parent. As the child returns to the circle of blessing, things go well
for him. He enjoys long life.
Safety Rather Than Danger
The circle of submission to parental authority is the place of
safety. By implication, being outside that circle is a place of danger;
it will not go well with him and he will not enjoy a long life.
Your child is in danger if he is rebellious and disobedient. You,
therefore, must move swiftly to return him to the circle of protection
and safety.
The Rescue Function

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The function of the rod and communication is rescue. Correction
and discipline moves your child from the peril of rebellion and
disobedience back into the circle of safety. The child has not just
disobeyed Mommy or Daddy. He has disobeyed God. He has made
himself liable to the discipline and correction that God has appointed
for disobedient children. The function of discipline is to restore him
to the safety and protection of the circle.
I have drawn this circle for my children scores of times, entreating
them to willing submission to authority, explaining that Dad was not
mad at them, but rather Dad was on a rescue mission. I have asked
them, “How could I see you in peril and not seek to rescue you?”