Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Did anyone notice the word “but” in Ephesians 6:4? Two ways
are being contrasted. Raising your child properly in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord will not provoke him to anger, but employing the
counsel and instruction of man-made pop psychology almost certainly will. The
use of behavior modification and cognitive therapy techniques that were
designed to replace Christ and the Scriptures with human wisdom (Prov. 16:25)
cannot produce in an angry child the fruit of the Spirit. That is what is necessary
to displace his characterological anger. Make certain that all means and
methods of child training you use can be Scripturally validated. Only then will
you avoid provoking your child to anger and truly bring him up in the
discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Well, how did you do? How many ways have you and your
spouse been provoking your child to anger? Remember, the anger is your child’s
sin, but you are 100% responsible before God for the sins which provoked him to
that anger. If you recognize that you have exasperated and provoked your
children, I urge you to immediately take the following steps to begin creating
a home environment that will help them to replace anger with love, kindness,
gentleness, and forgiveness of Christ.
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