1304) As a teacher in the upper third decade of working with children, I have seen many changes. In my first couple of years, my students were grounded in families of love and accountability. I could see this plainly in my dealings with both the kids and the parents. As the years have passed, this love has changed, as is accountability. Therefore, I am not surprised to see ‘disobedient to Parents’ in Paul’s last days list. Why?

How people act, react, love and value things reflect the values they have grown up with in the home. Many parents are working hard to raise children who are responsible adults, but that’s not always true. The love some parents show today is all about keeping the child happy: making sure no one messes with them because the child should not feel and experience difficulties. Love for some is supplying most of what the child wants because they feel they need to make up for any parental guilt they have. Because some parents don’t value any spiritual relationships, the child does not know the love, compassion and forgiveness God is offering them. These types of parenting results in children who grow up without understanding the value of hard work, responsibilities in the home, work and within relationships.

I believe Paul listed disobedient to parents in 2 Timothy 3:1-4 because the generation being parented now will become the adults of tomorrow and when there are huge lacks in having a solid background, these “gaps” will show up in all areas of life. It reflects in how businesses are run, politics, Christian faith (or lack thereof), how families are raised, what values are embraced (or not) and more.

The family unit reflects the future. We must put more value on it.