The Family and Authority

What about authority in the family?  In the early days of its life, a baby will often demand attention by crying or even by screaming.  But a wise parent will discern what the baby's real needs are and not let a tantrum dictate.  Some children, as they grow  older, are given free rein and are allowed  to set their own standards. Lacking experience, they may become involved in crime or other wrongdoing, disrupting both the family and the community at large, as may local authorities know only too well. 

"Parents discipline children too late," says Rosalind Miles, author of Children We Deserve.  "The time to start is the moment a child is born."  If from the outset parents speak with the voice of kind, caring authority and the loving discipline emanating from it.

The Bible contains a fund of information regarding family authority.  In the book of Proverbs, the wise man Solomon draws attention to the unity of God-fearing parents before their children, saying:  "Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother." (Proverbs 1:8)  When parents maintain that kind of reasonable solidarity before their children, the children know  where they stand.  They may try to play one parent against the other in an effort to get their own way, but united parental authority is a safeguard for the youngsters.

Next time: Conclusion of The Family and Authority

From the Watchtower magazine, 2000