In;his;letter;to;the;Ephesians,;chap- ter;six,;verse;one,;the;Apostle;Paul wrote;these;very;important;words to;children:;“Children, obey your
parents in the Lord: for this is right.” This
is;such;a;clear;command;that;even;the
youngest;child;can;understand;it;with-out;much;explaining;;kids;need;to;obey
their;parents.;Period.;My;wife;and;I;have
admonished our children with these
words;hundreds;of;times,;as,;no;doubt,
have many of you. In the very next
verses, the apostle tells children that
they also need to honor their parents
and;then;reminds;them;of;a;wonderful
promise;from;God’s;law:;“that it may
be well with thee, and thou mayest live
long on the earth.”;Isn’t;that;a;wonderful
promise?;We;know;that;if;we;train;our
children;well,;we;should;expect;them;to
obey;and;honor;us,;which;will;result;in
the;Lord;blessing;them;with;success;in;a
life;lived;to;the;fullest.
Now,;in;verse;four,;Paul;tells;us;how
God;will;accomplish;this;in;our;children
by;turning;his;instruction;toward;us,;the
parents,;particularly;fathers:;“And, ye fa-
thers, provoke not your children to wrath:
but bring them up in the nurture and ad-
monition of the Lord.”;That’s;another;clear
command,;one;that;even;the;most;im-
mature;of parents;can;understand;;par-
ents;need;to;train;their;kids;the;way;God
says.;He;uses;two;words;to;describe;this
training—nurture;and;admonition.;Noah
Webster’s 1828 dictionary defined nur-
ture;as;“to;feed,;to;nourish,;to;educate,
to;bring;or;train;up,”;and;admonition;as
“gentle;reproof,;counseling;against;a;fault,
instruction;in;duties.”;What;Paul;is;telling
fathers;is;that;if;they;want;their;children
to;succeed;in;life,;they;must;educate;them
in;God’s;ways.;I;think;every;true;follower
of;Jesus;Christ;will;agree;with;me;thus;far.
The;question,;then,;isn’t;what;must;we
do;regarding;the;training;(education);of
our;children,;nor;why;we;should;do;it,
but;how.;If;we;keep;reading;a;bit;further
in;Paul’s;letter;to;the;church;at;Ephesus,
we;come;to;these;very;familiar;verses:
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the
Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that
ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places. Wherefore take unto
you the whole armour of God, that ye
may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins
girt about with truth, and having on
the breastplate of righteousness; and
your feet shod with the preparation of
the gospel of peace; above all, taking
The Homeschool
Evangelist
Joaquin Fernandez
When;Is;The
Right;Time
To;Do;God’s
Will?
What;Paul;is;telling
fathers;is;that;if;they;want
their;children;to;succeed
in;life,;they;must;educate
them;in;God’s;ways.
