Ephesians 6:4. “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” FATHERS, PROVOKE NOT… From fathers come the joys, privileges, and responsibilities of lives yet to come to completion: Lifeblood flows from one life to another – across the generations, unseen and real. Look-alike eyes, features, skin tones, facial shapes, body language – All join together to form a new personality, a new entity, a new person made in the image of God to be entrusted into the hands, heart, and care of a father.
This new person originated in the mind and power of God, who chose the ways and means of passing on what He knows is best, to those He entrusts with His heritage – children. But who is to care, comfort, protect, and instruct those who come from God? - fathers. They are those who have learned from those before them, good or bad – they have learned.
Pressures applied: physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, familial, cultural – all used. Used to mold, direct, encourage, challenge, reveal, instill, unfold – things that are up to now unseen. Then comes the problem – how to do this great work in a proper way for all concerned. What is at the disposal of a father to produce in the lives of his children what God intends?
Sarcasm, antagonism, and scorn are never acceptable tools to use to direct another person into the way of life eternal. Expectations expressed clearly, reasonable demands, parameters that are precise enough to know are ways to direct a young person’s mind and actions. Consistency in practice, discipline, and modeling has an influence that goes far beyond mere words. A child could be provoked when demands are made on them that we have never made on ourselves. Provocation comes when directions are given loudly, forcefully, unkindly, or impatiently. None of these will produce the desired results and has the tendency to provoke others to anger.
To exasperate children produces the opposite result that parents desire. The nurture and admonition of the Lord suggests that we consider how the Lord Jesus Christ gave His trainees direction and do the same ourselves. He “chose Him twelve, that they might be with Him…” To be with children is probably one of the best ways to pass on to them what they need to learn. After spending 3 ½ years with the Lord, His disciples were on their own but were empowered by the Spirit of God for all of their lives. Children who have learned from a present (not an absentee) father have the power of his personality to give guidelines and direction to decisions they must make – “What did Dad do in this situation?” “How did he use his time and abilities?” A clear understanding of the Bible and its contents as they relate to life is a must. An active prayer life in which a man is an intercessor for his family is a must. An oral or written history of one’s own experiences is a great asset in instructing children.
“The nurture and admonition of the Lord” indicates that the father is still under the tutelage of his own Master. He is not above saying. “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” The “bringing them up” process is not done until they are on their own and out from under your roof.
“O Gracious Father of fathers: the heritage of children entrusted to our care is such a great blessing, I can hardly express properly how much I appreciate it. And yet, the necessity of bringing them up for Thee and in Thy ways is more than I can accomplish without divine guidance. Instruct me, please, each day in every way possible, that I might not provoke them and at the same time, not leave untaught what my family has a right to learn from me. Amen.”
Ephesians 6: 5-8. “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ: not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart: with good will doing service as to the Lord, and not unto men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”
WITH GOOD WILL. Bent back, sinews stretched to the full, pores opened and flowing freely – Nonstop time that moves slowly but surely to the coming darkness – Straining of the bones and muscles, striving to please without rancor or hate. Repetition not one day, but on and on endlessly, wondering when it will stop – Eyes looking but not seeing, hands acting with skill from endless days past – Mind that sees blank spaces aching to be filled with knowledge and light and hope. And yet above the payless service – a Person, The Light, I serve Him – with goodwill!
The heat is relentless, the thirst never satisfied, the occupation overwhelming with sameness – The voice urging constantly, the pace set two steps too fast, the weariness coming like a shadow – The testing again and again, the labor intense, the trappings basic and few, the hope out the window, but back again tomorrow to be repeated. Necessity requires this effort to meet the needs of others at the expense of self – Freedom to pamper self has long since gone in the dim and distant past – And change is hard because there is no assurance that things can ever get better. But in the future – “well done, good and faithful servant!” from the Master of masters.
Back to the seat again and again one hundred and eighty times: bored, bored, bored – Then on to the next station of the day: it is hard to understand, I don’t get it, please help me – Is this my service, my life for twelve years or more? This seems endless, timeless, hopeless. Papers filled with words, constantly words; then figures, numbers, page numbers by the score – Books full of information, so much useless information to get what is needed and wanted- I know it is necessary, but I don’t have to like it; I just have to do it because it is the path I walk. Goodwill is not always easy, but when it is done for the Master, it is worth it!
This day, this work, this calling, this labor is not over yet – payday hasn’t come – When the accounting time arrives, when this name is called, when the last effort is ended, Then comes the time to receive from Him, the Master, the Lord of all, a true accounting. Pleasing of men, eye service, complaints, agitation, bitterness – all have no worth – A single heart in love to Him constrains the best effort out of a meaningless task – Because it is “the will of God”, done “to the Lord”, with “good will”, doing a “good thing,” I rejoice in the privilege of service. Pay or no pay is not a consideration, because the Lord knows the motive and will give as He sees fit!
“It is not easy, Father God, to act like I like everything I do, because I really don’t. But I know You know my heart, motives, and reasons for every action. Right now, my neck hurts, and I can hardly turn it, but the reason for it is known by You, and I can bless You for allowing me to do what I do “as to the Lord.” In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”