Understanding the Purpose and Power of Men

Understanding the Purpose and Power of Men

The Bible says to warn children “to live lives worthy of God” (1 Thess. 2:12). This verse is talking about spiritual warning. It is a father‘s responsibility to warn his children of the consequences of rejecting God. ―Son, there is an eternal hell. I warn you, whatever you sow on earth, you‘re going to reap in the next life.‖ ―Daughter, I warn you tha t whatever you become involved in will follow you in your memory forever.‖ That‘s spiritual warning. Many fathers warn their children, but their children don‘t listen to them because they aren‘t setting a godly e x ample. If you are walking in God‘s ways wh en you warn your children, they will come to respect the God of their fa ther. They will say, ―If I obey my father, then I‘m obeying my God. I know that my father knows what is best because I see God working in his life. I‘ll obey my father because I want H im to work in my life, too.‖ Some of you may not live with your children. Maybe you are divorced, and your children live in another state or country. I suggest that you write them letters. It‘s amazing what you can communicate through a letter. You can put things in writing that you find hard to verbalize. Establish a loving relationship with your children through letters, so that you will have their respect when you want to warn them about spiritual realities. Then when you are no longer here, they will remember, ―My father told me about God. He wasn‘t always the best daddy all those years. But before he died, in those latter years, he told me about God. He left me enough that I know that he loves me beyond the grave.‖ Warn your children. It‘s your respon sibility. Last, fathers need to be careful not to provoke their children. The Bible says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children” (Eph. 6:4), or “Do not provoke your children to a n ger” ( NASB ). What are fathers to do instead? “Bring them up in the training and in struction of the Lord” (v. 4). Fathers have a way of provoking their children by impa tience or harshness. Yet sometimes provocation means more 10. A Good Father Does Not Provoke His Children

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