Nurturing Children: A Balanced Christian Approach

Devotional

Day 1: Balanced Responsibilities in Family Life

In Ephesians 6:1-4, Paul emphasizes the balanced responsibilities between children and parents. Children are instructed to obey and honor their parents, while parents, especially fathers, are cautioned against provoking their children to anger. Instead, they are encouraged to nurture them in the Lord's teachings. This balance reflects the fairness of Scripture, countering the misconception that it is repressive towards children. The focus is on nurturing children to maturity, both physically and spiritually, preparing them for a relationship with God. This dual responsibility ensures that both parties contribute to a harmonious family life, where respect and love are mutual. [01:01]

Ephesians 6:1-4 (ESV): "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother' (this is the first commandment with a promise), 'that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.' Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

Reflection: How can you actively contribute to a balanced relationship with your children or parents today, ensuring mutual respect and understanding?

Day 2: Parenthood as a Sacred Duty

Parenthood is described as a profound responsibility, akin to nurturing a soul for its relationship with God. It requires time, attention, and care, much like rearing a prize-winning animal. Many parents, however, invest more in their careers or hobbies than in their children's upbringing, leading to societal issues. The home is the primary place for nurturing children in the Lord, not schools or external institutions. Parents must prioritize their children's spiritual growth over personal ambitions or societal pressures, ensuring that their children are well-prepared for a life of faith. [03:19]

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV): "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to prioritize your child's spiritual growth over other commitments?

Day 3: Home as the Primary Influence

The home is emphasized as the primary place for nurturing children in the Lord, rather than schools or external institutions. In today's world, where children are exposed to anti-Christian ideologies, parents must supplement and apply the teachings of the church. This involves creating a home environment that reflects Christian values and provides a safe space for children to grow in their faith. Parents are encouraged to engage in meaningful conversations with their children, answering their questions with wisdom and grace, and ensuring that the home remains a stronghold of faith. [17:03]

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV): "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Reflection: How can you make your home a more effective environment for nurturing your child's faith today?

Day 4: Avoiding Mechanical and Repressive Methods

Nurturing children should not be mechanical, repressive, or forceful. Instead, it should be filled with love, understanding, and a genuine desire to guide children towards a relationship with Christ. This approach prevents children from becoming disillusioned or rebellious. Parents are encouraged to create an environment where Christianity is seen as attractive and desirable, not as a set of rules or a source of guilt. By living out Christian values in everyday life, parents can inspire their children to embrace their faith joyfully and willingly. [24:58]

Colossians 3:21 (ESV): "Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged."

Reflection: What changes can you make in your parenting style to ensure it is nurturing and not repressive?

Day 5: Making Christianity Attractive

Parents are encouraged to create an environment where Christianity is seen as attractive and desirable. This involves living out Christian values in everyday life, engaging in meaningful conversations, and answering children's questions with wisdom and grace. The goal is to instill in children a desire to know and follow Christ, making Christianity a natural and joyful part of their lives. This approach not only benefits the children but also contributes to the moral and spiritual renewal of society. By making faith appealing, parents can inspire their children to embrace it wholeheartedly. [41:44]

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV): "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

Reflection: How can you demonstrate the attractiveness of your faith to your children in a way that inspires them to follow Christ?

Sermon Summary

In Ephesians 6:1-4, Paul provides a balanced view of the responsibilities of both children and parents. While children are instructed to obey and honor their parents, parents, particularly fathers, are cautioned against provoking their children to wrath. Instead, they are encouraged to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This dual responsibility highlights the fairness and balance of Scripture, which is often misunderstood as being one-sided or repressive towards children. The emphasis is on nurturing children to maturity, not just physically but spiritually, preparing their souls for a relationship with God.

Parenthood is a profound responsibility, akin to rearing a prize-winning animal, requiring time, attention, and care. Yet, many parents invest more in their hobbies or careers than in their children's upbringing, leading to societal issues. The home is the primary place for nurturing children in the Lord, not schools or external institutions. Parents must supplement and apply the teachings of the church, especially in today's world where children are exposed to anti-Christian ideologies.

The process of nurturing should not be mechanical, repressive, or forceful. Instead, it should be filled with love, understanding, and a genuine desire to guide children towards a relationship with Christ. Parents should create an environment where Christianity is seen as attractive and desirable, not as a set of rules or a source of guilt. This involves living out Christian values in everyday life, engaging in meaningful conversations, and answering children's questions with wisdom and grace.

Ultimately, the goal is to instill in children a desire to know and follow Christ, making Christianity a natural and joyful part of their lives. This approach not only benefits the children but also contributes to the moral and spiritual renewal of society.

Key Takeaways

1. Balanced Responsibilities: Scripture provides a balanced view of responsibilities for both children and parents. While children are to obey and honor their parents, parents must not provoke their children but nurture them in the Lord. This balance reflects the fairness of Scripture and counters the misconception of it being repressive. [01:01]
2. Parenthood as a Sacred Duty: Parenthood is a profound responsibility, akin to nurturing a soul for its relationship with God. It requires time, attention, and care, much like rearing a prize-winning animal. Parents must prioritize their children's spiritual growth over personal ambitions or societal pressures. [03:19]
3. Home as the Primary Influence: The home is the primary place for nurturing children in the Lord, not schools or external institutions. Parents must supplement and apply the teachings of the church, especially in today's world where children are exposed to anti-Christian ideologies. [17:03]
4. Avoiding Mechanical and Repressive Methods: Nurturing should not be mechanical, repressive, or forceful. Instead, it should be filled with love, understanding, and a genuine desire to guide children towards a relationship with Christ. This approach prevents children from becoming disillusioned or rebellious. [24:58]
5. Making Christianity Attractive: Parents should create an environment where Christianity is seen as attractive and desirable. This involves living out Christian values in everyday life, engaging in meaningful conversations, and answering children's questions with wisdom and grace. The goal is to instill in children a desire to know and follow Christ. [41:44]
** [41:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - Introduction to Ephesians 6:1-4
[00:29] - The Balance of Scripture
[01:43] - Responsibilities of Parents
[02:27] - Nurturing Children to Maturity
[03:35] - The Greatness of Parenthood
[04:25] - The Care in Rearing Children
[05:27] - The Importance of Thoughtful Parenting
[06:07] - The Responsibility of Parents
[07:06] - Nurture and Admonition Explained
[09:32] - The Christian Distinction
[12:24] - Teaching Children the Law
[14:29] - The Impact of Christianity on Society
[17:03] - The Role of the Home
[24:43] - How Not to Nurture
[32:37] - The True Way to Nurture
[41:44] - Making Christianity Attractive

Sermon Clips

"the first thing that parents have got to do is to realize their responsibility for the children as I was saying last Sunday morning they're not our property they don't belong to us they given to us by God for a while while what for well not that we may get what we want out of them and use them simply to please ourselves or to gratify our own desires no no it's this is the task they've got to be reared brought up nurtured prepared not only for life but especially the preparation of the soul for its relationship to God" [00:02:44]

"you notice you read in the papers constantly about the care and the attention which people give to rearing various types of animals it's not an easy thing to train a winner whether it's a horse or a dog or whatever it is it's a it's a thing to which you have to give much time and attention you have to consider the diet you have to consider the exercise you have to consider the bedding you have to protect this animal from various hazards and you see it's quite a big business and people pay large sums of money they spend great deal of time and of thought in just bringing up rearing an animal that it may become a prize winner" [00:04:25]

"the home is the unit of society and children are born into a home and into a family there is the circle that is to be the chiefest influence upon their lives there's no question about that it is the Biblical teaching everywhere and it is always in so-called civilizations where Notions concerning the home begin to deteriorate that ultimately your Society disintegrates so that I think it is the business of Christian people to consider and reconsider very carefully the whole question of boarding schools as to whether it is right to send your children away from the PE special influences of the home" [00:18:18]

"the teaching of the scripture is that the child's welfare the child's Soul should always be the primary consideration and all matters of prestige not to use any other term or all matters of ambition should be put severely on one side anything that militates against the child's soul and its knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ should be rejected the first thing we have to consider about children is I say their soul and their relationship to God and however good your education may be if it militates against that it must be put on one side nothing comes before this" [00:19:30]

"Christian parents have you ever considered it like this you've got a greater task than you've ever had for this reason consider what is being taught the children in the schools Evolutions being taught them as a fact they're not being told it's a mere Theory which hasn't been proved they given the impression that it is an absolute fact and that all people of scientific knowledge and learning all believe it and they regard it as odd if they don't we've got to meet that situation higher criticism of the Bible is being taught there are School teachers to my own knowledge are using textbooks which were published 30 and 40 years ago" [00:23:10]

"how is this not to be done well it's never to be done mechanically it's never to be done in a mechanical abstract manner almost by numbers as if it were some sort of a drill there have been many Christian parents who have done that I remember having an experience once in 10 years or so ago I went to stay with some friends of mine I was preaching in the area and I always stay with them and I found the wife the mother in that family in a state of acute distress and she and her husband and myself were talking and I discovered the cause of her distress" [00:24:58]

"we must never bring up our children in the nurture and admonition in the Lord in such a way as to make little prigs and hypocrites of them and I've seen a great deal of that in my time there is nothing that I know of that is so sad and at the same time so revolting as to hear children using Pious phrases which they don't understand but their parents are proud of them they s to say listen to them isn't it wonderful little prigs and hypocrites too young to understand they can't know at that age" [00:29:07]

"we must never force a child to a decision oh the trouble and the Havoc that has been wrought by this isn't it marvelous to the children my little child age five decided for Christ or some older age pressure being brought to bear it should never be done you're violating the personality and apart from that of course you're displaying a profound ignorance of the way of Salvation you can make a little child decide anything of course we've got the power and the ability to do so but it's wrong it's unchristian it's not spiritual in other words we must never be too Direct in this matter" [00:30:11]

"the way to do this is to make Christianity attractive we should give our children the impression that the most wonderful thing in the world is Christianity and that there is nothing in life comparable to being a Christian we should create within them the desire to be like us they see us and they see the joy that we have in it all and the way we glory in it all and the way we Marvel and wonder at it all the thrill of it all they should be saying to themselves oh I'm longing to be as old as they are so that I can get in it what they're getting and enjoy it as they enjoy it" [00:41:44]

"we should give our children the impression that the most wonderful thing in the world is Christianity and that there is nothing in life comparable to being a Christian we should create within them the desire to be like us they see us and they see the joy that we have in it all and the way we glory in it all and the way we Marvel and wonder at it all the thrill of it all they should be saying to themselves oh I'm longing to be as old as they are so that I can get in it what they're getting and enjoy it as they enjoy it" [00:41:44]

"we ourselves are the bondslaves of Jesus Christ that God in His Grace has opened our eyes and awakened us to the most glorious thing in the world and that our greatest and deepest desire for them is that they may enter into the same knowledge and have the same Jin and have the highest privilege of all in this world of serving him and living to the praise of the glory of his grace whatever their work whatever their avocation whether it is business or profession or manual labor or preaching doesn't matter what it is do all things to the glory of God bring them up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord" [00:42:04]

"the first thing that parents have got to do is to realize their responsibility for the children as I was saying last Sunday morning they're not our property they don't belong to us they given to us by God for a while while what for well not that we may get what we want out of them and use them simply to please ourselves or to gratify our own desires no no it's this is the task they've got to be reared brought up nurtured prepared not only for life but especially the preparation of the soul for its relationship to God" [00:02:44]

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