PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship
Volume 1 Issue 1
May 1996
On Being a Parent
Watchman Nee pointed out that the responsibility of parents is great. "God has delivered our children's bodies, souls, thoughts, lives, and futures into our hands. No person can influence another's destiny more than parents can their children's."
Great Responsibility
The Old Testament does not seem to have much teaching on parenthood other than in Proverbs, but in the New Testament Paul gives definite instruction on how to be parents. Parenthood is stressed in the New Testament. Though the New Testament does have some teaching on how to be children, it does not seem to be as strong as is the teaching on parenthood. The words for parents in both Ephesians 6 and Colossians 3 are stronger than those for children. God pays more attention to the parents than to the children. Man needs to learn how to be a parent.
| Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, That it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth. And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord... Ephesians 6:1-4 |
A summary of all the words in the Bible on parenthood would come to this: nurture the children in the chastening and admonition of the Lord and do not provoke their wrath lest they be discouraged. In order to do this, parents must learn to control themselves; they themselves must know the discipline and teaching of the Lord. This is what Paul shows us.
Topic
New believers, especially parents and future parents, should know that even as it is not easy to be a husband or a wife, it is even harder to be a father or a mother. To be a husband or a wife is mostly one's own concern; to be a parent affects others. A husband or a wife only touches his or her mate's personal happiness, but a parent influences the happiness of the next generation. The future of the children depends upon the parents. Therefore, the responsibility of parents is great. God has delivered our children's bodies, souls, thoughts, lives, and futures into our hands. No person can influence another's destiny more than parents can their children's. They can almost direct their children to heaven or to hell. How tremendously important their responsibility is....
Watchman Nee, Do All To The Glory Of God, pp. 71-72
God has delivered our children's bodies, souls, thoughts, lives, and futures into our hands. |
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