Soul and Spirit

We’re almost a week past Father’s Day in the USA.

My heart aches for the children whose dads treat them unjustly. I have observed that far too often, even in Christian homes. Shame!

So here are two tips for dads:

Nurture your children; don’t provoke them.

Don’t exasperate your children or they’ll lose heart.

Do any of the following flaws (or sins) describe how my children experience (or just perceive) me?

• too proud to apologize
• too busy to give positive attention
• too upset to listen to reason
• too suspicious to imagine good
• too demanding to be generous
• too selfish to share
• too hypocritical to live by the same standard
• too stubborn to change
• too blind to avoid favoritism
• too wounded to offer healing
• too negative to recognize good
• too carnal to model the Heavenly Father
• too inconsistent to be just
• too unpredictable to be dependable
• too angry to see clearly
• too vengeful to forgive
• too unpleasant to be cheerful
• too tough to be kind
• too rigid to be flexible
• too insecure to back down
• too “right” to value a different view
• too bossy to serve
• too self-centered to do something another’s way
• too mature to play
• too tense to relax

If you think your child is too young to catch on to these things, don’t kid yourself!

And even if your child hasn’t caught on yet, your Heavenly Father has! And He will make you pay for being unjust to your children, especially the little ones.

Oh, those two tips with which I started?

They’re actually commands…from God:

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

“Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged” (Colossians 3:21).

Fathers, how we treat our children influences their perception of the Heavenly Father. Check this out:

“Like as a father…his children, so the LORD…” (Psalm 103:13).

OK, dads, I offer a question to help guide you in your day-to-day interaction with your children: