The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
Proverbs 15:3
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Hebrews 4:13
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28
Bible Believing Christians are are compelled by gratitude to do all we do for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). In all things, we respond to the events and circumstances in which the LORD places us, in fear and obedience (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The dark forces of the world, progressives, secularists, those who advocate education above obedience, would desire that we see fear and obedience as a bad thing, a negative, oppressive imposition upon our Free Will. True Christian™s know that nothing could be farther from the truth! Why, when you know the consequences of rebellion (Matthew 13:41-42), genuine fear and cheerful obedience naturally follows! Sincere gratitude is what Loving the Lord is all about, I think. Loving the Lord is knowing and showing gratitude for not being smote according to His Divine Justice, as founded on the default system of eternal damnation for all souls.
Children may have a harder time expressing sincere gratitude until they have been genuinely Saved, but children can be trained to “fake it until they make it.” They can be trained to recognize the signs of pride and rebellion - frustration, lack of eagerness to obey, lack of cheerfulness, failure to anticipate the needs of their parents, etc. They can be trained to recognize that when they feel these things, they make God very displeased with them. With diligence, children can learn to how to feel happy by learning how to convince their fallible and untrustworthy minds that thoughts and opinions are dangerous things, whereas True Security lies only in fear and obedience. Children can know from an early age that good things happen to those who are grateful and loyal, but God punishes those who rebel against Him.
Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
Hosea 13:16
If a child grumbles, you should focus your training on his bad attitude. If a child looks frustrated, he reveals a rebellious nature. If a child shows the least displeasure in response to a command or duty, it should be addressed as disobedience. If a child sticks out his lip, you should focus your training on his bad attitude. The wrong slant of the shoulders reveals a bad frame of mind. If the child does not show to the world a cheerful, compliant spirit, then he shames the parent, and angers the Lord. Lessen your grip just a tiny bit, ignore the subtle lack of respect, and you’ve given Satan a foothold in your child’s soul. The child should learn early on that anger comes from sin, it is an expression of holding on to pride, refusing to suppress their free will to obey God. In child-speak, that means if they are not cheerful, they are not pleasing God, and that makes Him angry. If they look unhappy, they are publicly shaming their authority, and that makes God angry. They need to learn to obey what you say, do it right away and do it with a smile, or they make God angry. First Time Obedience doesn’t come easily,
but you can make it work. In our home, we have a Family Mission Statement:
“Do what I say, when I say, and with a smile, or God shall be very angry.”
After all, the goal is immediate obedience with a smile. If a child cannot accomplish this with a parent, they will not accomplish this with God. Rebellion against earthly authority is how Satan wins.
When we travel outside Freehold as a family, we review our role in public. Before exiting the 20 person van, I wipe the faces of my children, straighten their bows, make sure their shirts are tucked in, make sure they have genuine looking smiles. I remind them when they exit the van that they are witnesses to Christ, they represent Christianity, they represent homeschooling, they represent big families, they represent America. I always tell them, “Smile, look cheerful, look alive, look eager to please your authorities. Be on your best behavior. The world is watching you, and so is God. You don’t want to make him angry. You wouldn’t like it when he’s angry”