HUMAN CLAY: Nurture and Admonition

Read Ephesians 6:1-4.

Every child is born with self-centeredness and rebellion in their heart. There has only been one virgin to conceive and bear a sinless Child, and thus, we have a job on our hands as parents, grandparents, and mature Christians to help shape that little lump of human clay.

We train children in obedience. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” (v.1‬). Some have a personality that makes them more readily compliant, yet all to some degree or another manifest disobedience.  It is woven into the fabric of our being.

The training must go beyond actions to attitudes. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise:” (v.2‬). If adults are to be honored, they must demonstrate they are honorable. Kids can sniff out a phony a mile away.

We must show them not only what to do, but why. “‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’” (v.3‬). If all children hear is, “No!” without being taught the positive benefits and protection from evil consequences of obedience to God, it will be counterproductive.

The direction of children toward God and salvation in Christ by discipleship requires both negatives to avoid and positives to apply. “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” (v.4‬). Two extremes must be avoided: being loose where we set few boundaries and fail to enforce those we set, or being legalistic and demand our preferences rather than God’s principles. Both are frustrating to a child and end in anger and bitterness. Positive training and corrective confrontation in the Word to lead them to the Lord must be our persistent effort.  We reward good actions and attitudes while disciplining bad ones to open the child’s heart to God.

OTHERS

Read Romans 15. 

If God is our Father, that makes all His children to be our brothers and sisters.  We are in the same family and are to relate to each other in love.

Those who are strong ought to bear with the tender souls of the weak.  “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” (Rom.15:1-2). We are not to drive the sheep like cattle, but lead them like lambs.  Those mature in faith are not meant to be arrogant and indifferent to the immature, but to lovingly lead them.  Our concern is to build others up in faith.

Those whom Christ has received need to be received into the church. “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.” (v.7). The compassion of Christ has reached out to sinners with grace and mercy, and He has embraced us.  Even more, He has come to dwell in us.  When we receive others, we receive Him.  This, in turn, brings us into the purpose for which we have been redeemed—to glorify God. 

Those God has brought together in His family are meant to admonish one another. “Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” (v.14). To admonish is to inform and correct, or as some translations render it, “instruct.”  As we grow in moral goodness and Biblical knowledge, we are meant to help others do likewise.  Someone else in the body is always farther along than us and can instruct us, while someone else is behind us and we can instruct them.

Those in the church can be at peace through the presence of the Prince of Peace. “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” (v.33). Here is the source of our unity.  The God of peace who has given us His peace can now enable us to abide in peace with one another in the church.

The Christian life is about others, not about me.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Proverbs 17:1-2, 6, 14, 21, 25

Solomon shares with us many principles for family life throughout the Proverbs, and in this chapter there are several featured.  Sadly, he failed to abide by these truths in many ways, showing that it is easier to say it than to do it.  Yet, if we will apply these axioms, then family life can be the closest thing to heaven on earth.  Failing in the family will bring the closest thing to hell on earth.

1.  HARMONY IN THE HOME IS HEAVENLY. “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife. The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.” (v.1, 14). You can live in a palace, but without peace in that home, you are impoverished. The presence of strife ruins the appetite. The best place to stop an argument is before it starts. A heart full of love, the spirit of forgiveness, humility, and self-control, exercised by one another, brings such heavenly harmony.  Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to descend as the Dove of Peace on our household. It isn’t my way or my spouse’s way, but God’s way that we ought to seek.

2. GROUNDING CHILDREN IN THE TRUTH BRINGS BLESSING.  “A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, And will share an inheritance among the brothers.  He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy.  A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him.” (v.2, 21, 25). Here we see the opposite.  There is shame and sorrow when children are not grounded in the Word of God.  Therefore, let us seek to “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph.6:4). Solomon knew what he was talking about. His son Rehoboam failed to receive these truths. 

3.  HAVING CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN CAN BE GLORIOUS. “Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father.” (v.6 NKJV). When children can glory in their father—watching him walk with God, love their mother, and lead them in truth, they may grow up to follow in his footsteps and enable him to know the glory of grandchildren.  Our children’s children can be such a source of delight!  As the old fellow said, “If I had known grandkids would be so much fun, I would have had them first!”

May the Lord help us build our home according to the Bible blueprint!  Let us study, submit to, and share these Scriptural principles in our family.