SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/22/2017
9:56 PM
My Worship Time
Focus: PT-1 “A Word to Parents”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Colossians
3:21
Message of the
verses: “21 Fathers, do not
exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” “Fathers, do not provoke your children to
anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph.
6:4).”
John MacArthur writes that the word translated as “fathers”
(Pateres) should be translated “parents”
“as it is in Hebrews 11:23. “By faith
Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a
beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” Now the word “exasperate” is from erethizo, and this means to stir up,
provoke, irritate, or exasperate. Paul
could actually be saying “Parents stop nagging your kinds.” If parents do not stop doing this then the
children will “lose heart.”
Now as I was listening to the sermon by John MacArthur
from this section earlier today he gave a number of things that parents could
do which would exasperate or (nag) their children and so I think it is best if
I list them as he also has the in his commentary.
1.
Parents can exasperate
their children by overprotection.
Parents who are over-protectors of their children never give them enough
liberty, as their rules are too strict. So when parents do this it shows their
children that they do not trust them. I
heard a good illustration about this kind of over protection. It had to do with farm life and as the
children got older they were allowed in the corral, and then once they get even
older they got to go out into the pasture.
It is a process and like all people they will make mistakes, and it is
how you correct those mistakes that will help your children grow. If not corrected correctly by being too
strict then children will rebel.
2.
Showing
favoritism is another way to exasperate children. MacArthur writes “That is often done
unwittingly by comparing a child unfavorably to siblings or classmates. By making a child feel like a black sheep of
the family, parents can create a terrible sense of frustration.
3.
Parents can exasperate
their children by depreciating their wroth. This will communicate to children
that they are not significant. When
parents do not listen to their children this can be a way of exasperating them
in this way.
4.
Parents can set
unrealistic goals for their children which will surely exasperate them. There are times when parents try to have
their children fulfill dreams that they themselves had but did not fulfill
them. Children are individuals and
therefore have their own talents and their own dreams, and so their parents
should help cultivate their dreams and help them find out their gifts so they
can succeeded in doing what the Lord desires
for their lives.
5/22/2017 10:29 PM
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