“Fathers, do not exasperate your children.” As you know children are obligated to obey, which also means fathers have obligations, as well.
As parents, you have important responsibilities in raising your child to adulthood. Since, the very beginning of time fathers were given the position of head of household. In fact, during the Patriarchal Age of the Bible, the father was also the prophet and priest of the family.
This causes children to rebel because they are driven to a helpless state of frustration. The result is described by Wilbur Fields in his book, “The Glorious Church,” “Parents who are unreasonably strict with children often drive them from home into young, unwise marriages, or into juvenile gangs.” Gareth L. Reese in his book, “Paul’s Prison Epistles,” wrote, “Parents are not to be provoking or irritating their children by constant nagging, by hostility, by verbal put-down, by humiliating insults.” As you can see, there is a fine line and yet at the same time there also must be discipline.
Paul wrote “instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” It has been said, “I will let my child choose for himself.”
But this text points out you are to responsibly instruct the child in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are not only to nourish their bodies, but also, you are to nourish daily their understanding of what life is all about especially their relationship with Jesus Christ.
A child’s upbringing consists of training, nurturing and disciplining by encouraging them. This brings out that there will be rewards and punishments.
Kenny Boles in his book, “Thirteen Lessons on Ephesians,” gives a guideline in carrying out the proper discipline,
“1. Do not discipline in anger. If necessary, send them to their room to think about their wrong action while you get a hold on yourself.
2. Do not discipline for revenge. Spanking is not a way of getting even with children for having you look like a poor parent.
3. Do not discipline to the extent of physical injury.
4. Do not strike the face. A spanking should be entirely different from getting beat up by the school bully.
5. Aim for correction more than punishment. Be sure the child knows what was wrong and why he is being punished.
6. Follow every disciplinary action with love.”
So, when you are instructing, you are admonishing, warning and teaching.
Since Bible teaching is not allowed in public schools, you as a parent have the responsibility of giving your child a Christian education.
THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT HOW YOU ARE BRINGING YOUR CHILDREN UP, IF IT IS HOW GOD HAS INSTRUCTED YOU!!!