In 1 Samuel 2, a man of God appears seemingly out of nowhere to rebuke Eli the priest for honoring his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, above the LORD. They had committed despicable acts, desecrated the priesthood, and corrupted the worship of God at the tabernacle. Since Eli failed to restrain them, he and his descendants would reap a terrible judgment.

The Lord would later say to a young Samuel:

“And I declare to him [Eli] that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.” (1 Samuel 3:13)

From this account, we learn a valuable principle that every father must take to heart: failure to correct your children when they sin dishonors God. Anything that softens or excuses sin disrespects a holy God. Yet parents oftentimes overlook sin in their kids, fearing correction will drive them away, or feeling disqualified because of their own sin. Whatever the excuse, neglecting to confront sin has disastrous consequences.

Dale Ralph Davis’s captures this well:

“How easy it is to practice a gutless compassion that never wants to offend anyone, that equates niceness with love and thereby ignores God’s law and essentially despises His holiness. We do not necessarily seek God’s honor when we spare human feelings.”

When children stray from God’s law, it is a parent’s spiritual duty to call them to account. Whether children or adults, such correction communicates respect for the Lord. It means you care more about what He thinks than how your kids feel. Through the prophet the LORD said to Eli, “Those who honor me I will honor.” (1 Samuel 2:30)

A God-honoring life is a blessed life. It is marked by faith that recognizes how serious sin is in the eyes of a holy God. As Paul wrote: “…in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.” (Romans 7:13)

What a powerful message it sends when dad loves the Lord enough to rebuke and correct erring children. It says, “I love God, and I love you enough to call you to repentance.” If only Eli had found that courage, perhaps they would have been spared. Instead, both soon died on the same day.

Finally, our Lord Jesus reminds us: “If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:26) To serve Christ is to exhort those we love to holiness and lovingly rebuke their sinful behavior. Proverbs counsels us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” And of course, most effective exhortation comes through pursuing holiness in our own lives.