Okilly-dokilly, let's look at parenting...

In our last post we looked at what Paul teaches about marriage, and specific instructions he gives to husbands and wives.
 

Now if there’s one thing that will rankle people more than taking instruction about marriage, it’s giving them advice on how to raise their kids, but Paul’s not shying away from that in Ephesians 6:1-4.

Remember Paul’s key theme through this latter part of his letter to the Ephesians, summed up in Ephesians 4:17 is that Christians should play their part in, and be part of the local Church, and that involves making changes in the way they live and behave which reflects the changes God has made in them.
 

If Paul’s advice last time was about marriage reflecting Christ, this time it’s about the family reflecting Christ.

What does that mean? When we look at a Christian family, are we looking for the real life Ned, Maude, Rod and Todd Flanders?

To a degree – yes - but before you panic and run screaming for the hills, let me explain.

Paul urges parents, in the way they choose to raise their kids, to identify what’s of primary importance and to let that shine through in the priorities and goals we set for ourselves. It starts with parents, because kids learn from what we teach them, but also how they see us live when we’re behind closed doors.

What's of primary importance? Paul gives us a hint by quoting directly from Deuteronomy 5:16, where the Israelites are ready to take possession of the promised land and Moses is teaching them about the land, the Lord, and the promise which was for generations to come.

Paul’s applying that to us today, living under God’s new promise that he’ll accept Jesus’ perfect life and blameless death on our behalf that we can be part of a grander promise that’s yet to come – the new heaven and earth that’s described in the last book of the Bible – Revelation.

If we follow Paul’s logic, the result of living in the light of this promise and all of the changes it makes to the way we think, speak and behave, is that children obey their parents because they recognise that their parents love them and want to help them understand that promise for themselves.

But, that happens when parents don’t exasperate their children, when we don’t put things in the way that prevent them from learning; when we’re not so full-on and dictatorial about every minute aspect of their lives that they zone out and stop listening when we try to talk about the importance of our life-changing saviour. And when I write parents, let’s make no bones about who Paul says has the primary responsibility here – Fathers, it’s you. It’s your job to teach your kids about God – not the Church, not youth leaders, not Sunday school teachers – you.

Thankfully there are some great resources to help us do that, and you can find some of them in our bookshop. But remember, teaching materials will say far less than your attitude, behaviour and priorities ever could.

So, back to good old Ned and Maude Flanders – a couple who wear their faith on their sleeve and live it out for the kids, and the world to see what Jesus means to them. Doesn’t sound so bad after all, does it?