Devotion 2: Fathers Do Not Provoke Children To Anger

Katie Pettibone 

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" Ephesians 6:4 

Children are very fragile in all aspects, but I think a lot of the time we do not focus on their spiritual fragility. When we neglect their spiritual health, we are not setting grounds for a firm foundation. Jesus talks about hearing His words and the consequences of not setting a strong foundation on them: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been found on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27). 

We want our children to be able to fight against the evil forces of this world and that cannot be done when we neglect to raise them in an upright and set apart manner. We do not want to be the reason our child does not run to God when they are faced with trials and tribulations. We need to be the disciples who teach our children the way of Truth and to have the Armor of God.  

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” 

Children need our guidance spiritually and it starts with how we treat them. Evaluate yourself today. Are you leading them in a way that will lead them to have a firm foundation? If not, why? Spend time in prayer with the Lord and ask Him for strength and the ability to lead your children in a Holy way.