Title: Great Parents, Great Children! / Ephesians 6:4
Contents
Great parents, great children! / Ephesians 6:4
Just as the saying goes, “Wang Dae-nanda in the royal field” means that children with great faith are born and raised under parents who have great faith. It can be said that the faith of parents is passed on to their children. It can also be found in the fact that Isaac grew up under Abraham, Israel under Isaac, Joseph under Israel, Moses under Amram and Jochebed, Samuel under Hannah, and Timothy following Lois and Eunice. It is possible to expect a person of great faith under such a great person of faith. If you want children of great faith, you must first become parents of great faith.
Educator Coleman McCarthy published a surprising study in 1978. The character and behavior of a 16-year-old child were already determined at the age of 12, the behavior of a 12-year-old child had its cause already at the age of 8, and the behavior of an 8-year-old child had its roots at the age of 3 or 4. It is also true of the Korean proverb that the habit of being three years old goes away. Correct religious education from an early age is very important in this sense.
To do this, we must first see our children through the eyes of Jesus. The ancients treated and abused children as if they were the property of adults. In Greece, it is said that when a child is born, it is dipped in hot alcohol, and if it survives there, it is raised, otherwise it is thrown into the mountains. Plato recognized the Athenian law, which states that it is ok to raise a boy even if he is poor and leave a girl for a rich man. In Rome, fathers had the right to sell their children into slavery. In some regions of Japan, it is quite absurd to say that there was a custom of killing one child when they reached three.
But you don't know how much Jesus valued little children. Jesus told us to welcome little children. To welcome him means to welcome him, to give for him and to respect him. No one in the history of mankind has respected children as much as Jesus did. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” In Matthew 18:6, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me If you cause one of the little ones to stumble, it would be better for you to have a millstone hung around their neck and to be thrown into the deep sea." And in 18:10, "Be careful not to despise any of these little ones, I tell you, I always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus tolerated little children unconditionally, hugged them, and blessed them. Socrates the iron man said. "The strangest thing to me is that people are very interested in things that will disappear, but they don't pay much attention and effort to the children who are their real heritage. If released, my one word would be 'Citizens, invest in children'."
If you go to the coast of Virginia in the United States, there is the MacArthur Memorial. It displays the medals and awards General MacArthur received during his lifetime. However, he usually confessed this. “If there is one of the greatest decorations I have ever received, it is that God has given me a son whom I am proud of,” he said. So MacArthur wrote this in his diary on the day his son was born. “God has given me a wonderful gift,” he wrote. Children are the precious inheritance of life given by God. Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are an inheritance from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” We need to give thanks to God for giving us children and realize that we have a duty to nurture and take care of them.
Parents are responsible for raising their children. The Bible tells parents to raise their children. Ephesians 6:4 says, "And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." is to nurture. The word “nurture” here is the Greek word eutrpo, which is used to mean “to raise flowers,” “to keep pets,” and “to take care of the body.”
Psalm 34:11 says, “Come, little ones, and listen to me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord.” But Psalm 78:5 says, “The Lord set up a testimony for Jacob, and made a decree for Israel, and our fathers commanded them to make known to their children.” Proverbs 3:1 “My son, do not forget my laws, but keep my commands in your heart.” la
And when you grow old, you will not depart from it.” Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 is more specific, “Therefore, you shall put these words of mine in your heart and in your will, and you shall bind them on your wrists as a sign, and put them between your foreheads as a mark, and give them to your children. Teaching and preaching these words when you sit at home, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your outer door.” Moses emphasized the responsibility of parents to teach their children.
A visitor came to the British poet Coleridge. He had always admired Coleridge. As we talked, the topic of conversation shifted to the little child. Then the visitor said: “I believe young children should be allowed to think and act freely, so that they learn to make their own decisions early on. I believe that this is the only way for young children to reach their full potential. "He said.
Here Coleridge suggested: "Shall we go see our flowers?" Having said this, Coleridge took the visitor to the garden in full bloom. The visitor took a look around his garden and said in amazement. "No! Why is there only weeds here?" "Before, this place was full of flowers. But this year, I left it on purpose. They let them grow as they wanted. I wanted to see how they grow. Then there were only weeds."
If you want to raise children, you must first not provoke them. Ephesians 6:4 says, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Colossians 3:21 also says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, lest you become discouraged.”
The word rage comes from the original meaning of "a ship sails, but the wind blows away". Without wind, the boat cannot move forward. In other words, the ship is no longer able to navigate. It breaks the spirit and destroys the courage. If you discipline your child too much or discipline your child too badly, and build up anger in their heart, the child will later become discouraged. So later you lose the courage to live life like a ship that can no longer sail. You lose all motivation.
The second is to nurture with love. All living things cannot thrive without love. In Titus 2:4, He said to the young women, "Love their husbands and children." The word here is not agape. When we tell parents to love their children, we use the word philos, not agape. Here Philos is the love of a friend. It is a love that allows parents to be friends with their children. Parents! How close are you with your children? How often do you talk to your children?
What parent does not love their children? The question, however, is how much the child feels the love of such a parent. It's the children's fault, but it's the parents' fault too. Undelivered love is not love. Because parents are self-centered love for their own satisfaction. You must truly understand your children and show love from their point of view. It is only with this kind of love that proper nurture takes place.
Dr. Howard Hendrix of Dallas Theological Seminary said this. “I have two of the most intense memories of my father in my life. One is the voice of my father praying as I pass by the living room in the early morning and evening, calling my brothers and sisters names. It's a father figure. I can't forget these two faces of him."
Lastly, we must nurture with the Word. According to 2 Timothy 3:16 and below, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected for every good work. The Bible says that it is the best fellowship for nurturing people.
When Lincoln was nine, his mother died of an endemic disease. She said to young Lincoln, "Be a man who enjoys reading the Bible rather than being rich or a great man." Lincoln, who loved the Bible and wanted to live by learning its words, eventually became a great man who moved the world and set a great example for all mankind.
Halverton, a world-famous opera singer, overheard a conversation between his young son and friends. A boy boasted this to his son. "My father is very close with the mayor." At that time, my son responded naturally without hesitation at all. “Yes, my father is very close to the God who created this world,” he replied. After hearing his son's answer, Halverton realized once more. I realized once again how precious it is to instill faith in childhood.
Only the faith of healthy parents and the attitude of healthy religious education can nurture healthy, well-behaved children. May your children have the grace to become great people in all fields and live great lives. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will become great believers and become great parents who raise great children.