Skip to main content

Ephesians 6:4: Do Not Provoke Your Children


Ephesians 6:4
[4] Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (ESV)

The power that a parent has over a child is great. I can remember times when all my dad had to do is look at me and I felt cold terror go down my spine. He did not need to say many words, nor even speak in a loud voice to get my attention.

Parents, you have been given power over your children. If I may quote the Apostle Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Some parents have abused the power given to them it ought to be taken away. It is so sad what some parents have done to their children. As parents you have greater control over your behavior than your children have over theirs. When you cannot act like a respectable human being in dealing with your children, you make it almost impossible to obey God’s call for them to honor and obey you!

Let’s go back to Ephesians 5:21:

Ephesians 5:21
[21] submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

If you are living a life that is not submitted to God, and to his Word, you are a prime candidate for a parent who is going to bring down your children. Here’s a few questions that I want to ask the dads and moms reading this:

1. Do you instruct your children in a normal tone, or do you scream?

2. Do you use insults and mocking words to bring instruction/discipline to your children?

3. Do you only give your children positive responses when they do the right thing?

4. Do your children know that you love them just as much when they fail as when they succeed?

5. Would you want to have yourself as a father/mother?

When we looked at how children were supposed to treat their parents we found that just as important as their actions was their attitude. As parents, I know that a bad attitude can be infuriating. But, it works both ways. When you try to raise your child with a wrong attitude it is infuriating for your child. Paul says in Ephesians, “Fathers, don’t provoke your children to anger.” In his letter to Colossae he phrases it this way:

Colossians 3:21
[21] Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

I have met far too many people in my life, who are angry and discouraged. When I talk to them I discover that there is a mom or a dad who wounded them deeply. Don’t bring your children down, but rather, bring them UP!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co