Ezekiel 2:3
“And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.”
Dealing with a rebellious person or child is never pleasant. Rebellion is a little different from disobedience in that one who is disobedient will respond to authority’s correction but rebellion is a total and outward disregard to the direction of authority. God shows us through the Prophet Ezekiel how He advises us to deal with the rebellious.
First, be sure that you listen to God’s authority. At the core of all rebellion is a disregard and disrespect of God. You will often see that the rebellious don’t have any respect for what God says. You have to make sure that your heart is right with God. You must be sure that when He speaks to you that you obey His word. Many times someones rebellion can be a result of our own rebellion. This is not right, but when they see you practice rebellion, then they learn that is how to deal with authority. When God speaks, then you had better listen, respond and obey. If your heart is submitted to God’s authority, then you will have a better spirit to deal with the rebellious.
Second, stand and don’t back down. Verse 1 says, “…stand upon thy feet…” Many parents have fed their child’s rebellion by backing down to either keep peace in the home or to keep their child “liking” them. You have to be willing to deal with the tension and rejection of the rebellious if you have any chance of them turning around. They have to see that you are as strong and adamant about doing right as they are about doing wrong. When you tell the rebellious to do something, then you must not back down, but you must stand firmly on what you said to do.
Third, base your actions upon the Word of God. You will notice that Ezekiel was obeying God’s Word and not his own preferences. This is vitally important in dealing with the rebellious. The rebellious must understand that this has nothing to do with what you feel, and it has nothing to do with your opinion. They need to understand that you are standing on the authority of God’s Word which makes it right. That is why you firmly stand and don’t back down. You are firmly standing because you know it is the right thing to do based upon the highest authority, God. Preference and opinion have no basis for authority. God’s Word must always be your reference for authority.
Fourth, you must be yielded and filled with the Holy Spirit. Verse 2 says, “And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me…” You cannot deal with the rebellious under your own power because you cannot work on the heart. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. If you deal with the rebellious on your own, you will fail. The only hope of turning the rebellious around is through the power of the Holy Spirit. The rebellious may be able to resist you, but they cannot resist the power of the Holy Spirit.
Dealing with the rebellious is never pleasant. Whether the rebellious comes in the form of a child or someone whom you lead, the only hope of them doing right is by following these four steps. Let me challenge you to pray for God to do a work on the heart of the rebellious. Don’t do the work alone. Following these steps is the only hope of turning a rebellious heart into a submissive one.