Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)
"Because I said so!"
Most of us can remember having that card played against us in our childhood, but that doesn't prevent us from doing the same with our kids. There are a wide variety of factors that cause us to reach for this treasured, but cliched, response.
Frustration
Anger
Weariness
And sometimes, "Because I said so," means "Because I don't know or don't understand my own reasoning well enough to be able to explain it to you."
But every time we reach for this phrase, we run the risk of shutting down conversation, and limiting our ability to impact our children beyond the moment at hand.
It comes down to a choice between controlling our kids, and molding our kids.
Take a look.
Command or influence? The choice may seem insignificant, particularly in the heat of the moment, but it could make all the difference in the world in the long run.
Think about it.
Pastor Jason