The Strand Study Bible

EPHESIANS “MINI” SERIES Seven Steps To Happy Parenting

* He lost his son Adonijah (I Ki 1) * He eventually lost his son Solomon (I Ki 11)

It is nigh impossible to say to our children, “Don’t do”, when we ourselves have “done.” Our children will answer what we are, not what we say. If fathers are to raise wise children, then fathers must give their children something good and wise to follow. Again, we will make our children what we are, not what we tell them to be. Lesson #6 . The example that fathers are to provide for their children must be the same example that our Heavenly FATHER provides for us (Eph 6:4) Fathers are to search the Scriptures daily as to how God rears His children and rear their own accordingly. God’s training program for children is two-fold: 1. Fathers are to search the Scriptures daily as to how God admonishes (or, speaks, warns, reproves) his children and admonish their own accordingly Admonition deals with teaching (what God wants His children to know). According to the Bible, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of truths that our Heavenly FATHER wants to teach His children to know and obey. We, of course, are to teach our children these same truths. For example: * Fathers are to teach their children to keep their word (I Tim 4:12, Psa 15:4 and Eccl 5:1-6) * Fathers are to teach their children to avoid hanging around unsaved children (II Cor 6:14-18) * Fathers are to teach their children how to pray (Lk 11:1-13) * Fathers are to teach their children how to be content with such things as they have (Heb 13:5, I Tim 6:8 and Prov 30:8) * Fathers are to teach their children to learn to nurture (chasten) themselves after they have been admonished (I Cor 11:31) 2. Fathers are to search the Scriptures daily as to how God nurtures (or, chastens, afflicts, corrects, judges) his children and nurture their own accordingly Nurture deals with training, i.e., how God handles His children once they refuse to obey. According to the Bible, there are many different ways in which God nurtures His children once they refuse to nurture themselves. We, of course, are to nurture our own children in the very same manner. For example: * Fathers should never punish their children for things they do not know are wrong (Rom 14:23 and I Sam 3:13) * Fathers should never punish their children until the children have first been confronted with the wrong and then have been given a chance to confess it and make it right (Isa 1:18 and II Sam 12:1-13) * Fathers should never punish their children if their children have already punished (nurtured) themselves (I Cor 11:31 and II Sam 12:12-13) * Fathers should never bring up old sin that has been forgiven (I Jn 1:9, Psa 103:12, Isa 38:17 & 43:25 and Jere 31:34) * Fathers should never play favorites amongst their children (Jms 2:1, Lev 19:15, Prov 27:21 and Gen 37:1-4) According to Romans 2:4, fathers who are willing to rear (i.e., teach/admonish and train/nurture) their children in the same manner as GOD THE FATHER does, will raise children who will appreciate them. Reason being: the goodness of Dad will lead a child to repentance. Lesson #7. When it comes to rearing children, earthly fathers have an advantage over the Heavenly FATHER (Jere 35) Whereas it may take GOD THE FATHER weeks, months, or even years to correct a problem in the life of a Christian, it takes but a moment for an earthly father to rectify a situation in his own child’s life. Earthly fathers can do with their children on a “daily” basis what the Heavenly FATHER has a difficult time accomplishing with His own in a lifetime (Prov 22:6)

NOTE – If raising children were easy, it would have never started off with something called “labor.”

1976