Ephesians 6:4

 A Focus on the Family

I think these instructions to fathers should be equally applied to mothers as well. Piggybacking on what was said yesterday, the role of the children is to obey, and the role of the parents is to raise their children in the ways of the Lord.

Much like the instructions to husbands, the instruction to fathers (and mothers) is given to the person who was dominant in the relationship. It was and is universally agreed upon that children need to obey their parents. It was not agreed upon that fathers had to treat their children fairly. Much like the husbands, the fathers were the ones who likely had to change their attitude and actions the most according to the instructions of the household code. 

The instructions are simple. Don’t cause your children anger but teach them in the Lord. It’s very similar to what is proclaimed in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. The message in those 6 verses is to love God and to teach your children to love God. Parents, you must do this! It is not the church’s job to teach your children about Jesus. It is your job. The church can come alongside you to help you do this work, but the Bible is clear. Teaching your kids the Bible and about Jesus is the parents’ job. We are to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. And just like I said yesterday, there is no statute of limitations on this command. Even if your kids are grown, you are still obligated to teach them about the Lord. You never retire from being a parent. And that includes our obligation to share Jesus with our kids.