May 7
Family Relationships
Ephesians 6:1-4

 

  1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
  2. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
  3. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
  4. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

 

Children are told to obey and honor their parents.  Along with doing that comes a promise that it may be well with them and they’ll live long on the earth.  On the opposite side of that you could say rebellion and disrespect will shorten a life.

He also tells fathers not to provoke their children to wrath.  The Amplified Bible says:

Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger—do not exasperate them to resentment—but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord.

Just as in the case of husbands and wives if both fathers and children do their part it makes the other one’s part easier to do.  It’s easier to love and nurture your children if they are being obedient and respectful.  And it’s easier for children to obey and respect their parents if they are being loving and nurturing.  But the one’s disobedience doesn’t excuse the other from doing their part.

So if the child is disobedient and has an attitude it doesn’t excuse the father from tenderly nurturing and training them in the ways of the Lord.  It doesn’t mean the father (or mother), can irritate and provoke them just because they are disobedient (Of course they can discipline them but the loving nurturing and training must be there as well).

 

Confession:

(Children): I will obey and honor my parents.  I will show them respect and see them as something valuable and precious.

(Parents): I will love and nurture my children in the ways of the Lord.  I will not irritate or provoke them causing anger and resentment.

 

 

Obedience is a tree of life!