Children, Obey Your Parents -- Parents Don't EXASPERATE!

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise – that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Ephesians 6:1-4

I’ve mentioned before in my blogs how my girls are huge Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus fans. Well, a few weeks ago in the news Miley had a week where she had a run of racey pics --- professional as well as amateur.

I knew that the story was about to come on the news and Savannah, 8, was in the room. I was pondering …. Should I send her out OR Should I let her watch?? I decided on the later and sat down beside her so we could talk about it during and after the newscast.

After watching what had taken place, Savannah said (all of this in one breath by the way – she was very concerned), “Mom! What were here parents thinking??? I mean, where in the world were they during all of this! Oh no! She’s going to turn out just like Brittany Spears!!”

The fact that Miley’s parents were around for some of the photo’s is neither here nor there for the point of this story --- the fact that my 8 year old daughter grasps the need for 1) Parents to set boundaries and 2) Children are to obey them --- that is the point.

Over the years, in reading numerous parenting books – I’ve always read those words …”Children desire boundaries” but this time I wasn’t just reading some words in a book – I was hearing from my own daughter! She was saying I EPXPECT you to set rules and I know I need to obey.

So, we see here in Ephesians one of the 10 Commandments and it says that it is the first one with a promise. Children, obey your parent AND you will enjoy long life on earth. BUT we can’t stop this scripture right there. We need to continue to the next verse. After the command to children – we see some advice for the parents!

Do not exasperate your children, but train them --- teach them the ways of the Lord. Do you really know what exasperate means? It means to infuriate, frustrate, to make angry, wind up, annoy, to drive mad, to worsen. YIKES!

If we are teaching our children God’s Word and living by example the life God has called us too – if we DO NOT exasperate them – it will make it so much easier for them to obey.

Some of you reading my feel that the words in Ephesians sound to good to be true. Maybe you feel that you’ve already missed the boat because now your children are older. Maybe your relationship with your children, for whatever reason, was severed years ago. Well, let me offer you some hope today.

Regardless of circumstances, pray this for your child today:

“I pray that out of His glorious riches that God may strengthen (child’s name) with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in (child’s name) heart through faith. And I pray that, (child’s name) being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Chirst, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that (child’s name) may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Our God, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or can imagine – it is our prayer today that you create in us, the parents, a pure heart. A heart that desires You and You alone so that we may teach (child’s name) your ways and not exasperate our children. Father, we pray the words found in Isaiah where you say …. I will put My Spirit into your children; My blessing will be like a stream of water flowing over your family. One will say, “I belong to the Lord, “… another will write on his hand, “The Lord’s.”. Dear God, we ask today that first – we will say I Belong To The Lord and then Father, that (child’s name) will be able to say that also. Hear our cry, precious Lord. Amen.”