PODCAST
Obedience and Care
October 13th, 2020
Ephesian 6:1-9
Several years ago as a high school teacher, I would tell students that should I need to be absent, they were expected to follow the directions of my substitute “unless you are asked to do something immoral or illegal, you are expected to obey.” I did not have too many behavior problems!
When I think of this simple and clear directive to obey parents in the Bible there is not room to negotiate. In a perfect world parents are God’s stewards of their children and have been given the responsibility to lead and guide them into maturity as well as a mature faith in Christ. We tend to focus on the part of the verse that directs children to be obedient. However, God is also concerned that parents should not provoke their children “by the way they are treated.” (Eph 6:4, NLT) There is a connection between obedience and respect.
We need to understand both sides of this equation to grasp how God wants the family unit to work. If we follow the pattern of obedience, respect, obedience, respect, we will find ourselves as families right where God wants us to be.
Author: Carol Rittenhouse
