Parents all over the world have one thing in common. Any parent who has ever heard of the Bible has one favorite verse, and he is careful to make sure his children learn it.

It is Ephesians 6:1-2: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honour your father and mother...'"

Even parents who do not know anything about the Bible seem to know this verse, and they love to use it to try to force their kids to honor and obey them.

Let us examine these verses a little more closely. They say children are to obey their parents. The word "parent" means, "to produce." When you parent something, your goal is to produce something that will be strong and healthy.

It is like a garden. When you plant a garden, your goal is to tend it, or take care of it, until it produces a healthy crop. In order to do that, you must water and fertilize your plants.

That is exactly what parents must do to help their teens grow up to be mature and wise. Parents must water and fertilize—they should be pouring into you the ingredients you need to succeed in life.

Sometimes they have to pull weeds in your life (i.e., not let you do the things you want to do). The Bible says that when we find these people who are pouring into us like this, we should obey them with all our hearts—they are looking out for our best interests.

Source: Quit Playing With Fire by Ron Luce.
Excerpt permission granted by Teen Mania Ministries