| “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” |
| —Ephesians 6:4 |
The relationship between a father and his children is one full of wonder, mystery, and amazement. On the one hand, the father must lead his children along the right pathway. On the other hand, the father must have the patience to allow his children to make some mistakes of their own, so that they will learn valuable lessons for life.
Being a father is serious business. Yes, it also brings great joy. But, the role a father must play in the lives of his children is fraught with possible problems. A father must be firm, yet not severe. He must be loving, but not coddling. He must set a strong example, but not be unapproachable.
In writing to the Christians gathered in the church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul particularly addresses fathers, when he writes the words found in Ephesians 6:4:
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Can a father exasperate his children? Surely he can. He can exasperate them by living inconsistently, by often changing the rules, by creating situations where the children can’t win, by … well you get the idea. There are many, many ways whereby a father can cause exasperation in the minds and hearts of his children.
The Apostle Paul indicates this exasperation is simply not acceptable. And, I wonder if it should apply even more broadly. In dealing with our brothers and sisters in Christ, perhaps each one of us should avoid behavior that causes exasperation in others.
At the very least, as we begin a new day, not causing exasperation is something we should think about. Do we do things or say things that cause others to feel exasperated? If so, we should stop that behavior. Rather we should encourage the personal Christian Spiritual Formation of our fellow believers in as positive a way as possible. It seems to me that would be the least we can do.
Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, September 27, 2018
