Parenting - Ephesians 6:4

Notice that there is both a negative warning and a positive admonition to fathers & parents in this important verse. The warning: do not provoke your children to anger. We provoke in our parenting when we are overly critical or overly harsh. When we get in a mode of parenting out of our own anger, Paul says: “just stop that”!

The encouragement is rather to bring them up through all the years of their childhood in the wise & loving ways of our new life in Christ just outlined in Ephesians 4-5. Parents: model that life, teach it wisely & winsomely to them. And then help your children to put it into practice in their own lives, in the way they treat others!

PRAY: Lord, as a parent, help me to live consistently and passionately the life you’ve saved me into. And help me to pass it on and build it into my children. AMEN