26 TEACHING RIGHT FROM WRONG CONSIDERS THE
CHOICE, COMPARES TO GOD, CHOOSES THE RIGHT, AND COUNTS THE COST.

“Dad, why do you have a radar detector in your car?” queried the teenage son.

We insist that our children obey God’s laws and the laws of the state. We demand that they respect God-ordained authority. But do we teach them what’s right by both example and lifestyle?

If it’s all right for me to break the speeding laws, then it must be all right for my son to follow my example. Making right decisions is rooted in absolute truth as revealed in the God of truth. His character is truth. Our character as parents must reflect God’s nature.

The steps in teaching children to make right from wrong decisions are detailed in the adult curriculum (Lifeway) I wrote for Josh McDowell’s book, Right from Wrong. Here’s a summary:

1.     Consider the choice. Step back from the decision and consider all the choices facing you.

2.     Compare to God. Determine which choice(s) line up with God’s nature and truth.

3.     Choose the right. When you know what is right, do it.

4.     Count the cost. Understand that right choices may result in short-term pain and long-term gain. Wrong choices often bring immediate please and self-gratification but result in a long-term harvest of sorrow and pain.

As a parent, you cannot anticipate every decision your child will have to make. In our complex world, children are faced with important decisions daily. They must decide whether or not to obey their parents. Then they must decide about what to listen to, watch, read, or play. The choices are almost endless. Equip your child to make right choices based on the character of God.

For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good (Isa. 7:16). Action Steps I/We Need to Take