Provoked legacy?

Ephesians 6:1–4 (CSB)

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, 3 so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. 4 Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Examine / Explain

Paul reiterates from the Ten Commandments, that children are to obey and honor their parents. We as children must learn what it means to obey and honor our earthly parents as we will abide by and honor our heavenly father. We also need to replicate our heavenly father by not stirring up anger in our children but raiseing them through training and instruction in the Lord.

What’s the application?

If we can’t honor and obey our parents, how do we honor and obey the higher authority in God? Learning to be trained in the Lord is preparing us to follow Christ as adults. It also teaches us how to train our children. But what happens if we are not trained or instructed in the Lord? We pass on what we know. What do we do when we finally start realizing what it means to train our children in the ways of the Lord and they are all considered adults? You don’t give up. We continue to lead them because they are still around us. We don’t provoke them into anger. Another verse that uses the word provoke is Romans 10:19.  Without understanding will I anger you or provoke you to anger. This tells me that fathers can provoke their children to anger because they don’t help them understand the choices we make as fathers. It’s a “do as you are told.” We are to lead by example. We are to leave a legacy by our words and actions. How have I led my family? What legacy am I leaving behind? What have I gotten them to understand? Where have I provoked them to anger? Do they know what I want them to know? Read and gain an understanding of the bible, pray, love others, sacrifice, seek the will of God in your life, and pursue the purpose that He has laid before you. What example have I been as an adult and still honoring my parents? What have I given them from what I have? I can only give away what I have. What lessons have I missed and now they have missed out on? Do I harbor bitterness, contempt, and rebellion? Do I not display the sacrificial love for others that I should? Do I explain my boundaries to my children or do they only see what I don’t do and never know why I don’t do them? How do I do better at my communication and have less provocation? Not that my children are constantly walking around in anger but I know there is always room for improvement. I want to do better, I want to lead by the best example that I can.

What’s my response?

Dad, my thoughts turned to my relationship with You. What legacy have I passed on regarding my relationship with You? My public prayer life is almost non-existent. My private prayer life is nearly as bad. So how could they replicate a communicative relationship with You when I don’t provide that example? I’m not even sure how they see You. I am tired of this far-off man who I question constantly. But how tired am I really? What do I do differently? Have my actions changed of lately? For the better? I want to be more intentional in the things I do with my family. I believe I have overcome some of the relational aspects of family that I did not want to repeat, however I have failed at the spiritual level. Not that I see myself as a failure but what have they missed out on? How do I help them capture that? Through the Lord. He can restore what the locusts have eaten. How am I pursuing Christ in this arena? Where am I surrendering to His will? When am I in communication with Him? I need help. I can’t do it alone. Amen.