But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
—James 1:22
Another cause of parental weakness is laziness. The parent does not take the trouble to rule and guide his feelings by God’s Word. He refuses the pain which punishing the child causes him. The lazy parent doest not realize that he is choosing the greater pain of seeing his child grow up unrestrained. No grace of the Christian life is obtained without sacrifice. The task of influencing and forming other souls for God needs special self-sacrifice. Like every difficult work, it needs purpose, attention, perseverance.
The greatest cause for parental failure is a spiritual problem. It is the lack of true devotion to God Himself. Because God is the great ruler and educator, the parent’s authority is ordained by God. The parent who does not live under command to God in his own life, does not have the secret of authority and command over others. The feat of God is the beginning of wisdom—this also applies to the work of ruling. It is failure in personal godliness that is the root of parental failure.
Excerpt taken from Raising your Children for Christ by Andrew Murray. This excerpt can be found in Chapter 18. Public Domain.