Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4
Dear God, I was wondering something earlier this week. What did a daily spiritual walk look like for Christians during the time that Paul wrote this letter? There was so much for people to learn about Jesus and the New Covenant you had given them. There was even more for Gentiles to learn about you and who you are. And it’s not like there were bookstores with a lot of written material. And a lot of them were probably not literate anyway.
I say that because it really puts a different light on these letters. The churches to whom they were sent NEEDED these letters. Outside of oral teaching that I’m sure could be very suspect, information, instruction, and admonitions like this were probably all they had. There were no books on how to be a good husband or father, but the apostles took the time to instruct people.
In this case, fatherhood and how we do it is very important. The command here to not exasperate our children is an interesting one. Another common translation says, “…do not provoke your children to anger.” It would be easy to say to not abuse them, but Paul chose to think about the child’s perspective. Now, maybe this was easy for him to say because he hadn’t been a father. I can tell you, there were time that all I had to say was, “Good morning,” to my teen children and it would provoke anger. But I think Paul’s underlying subtext here is to encourage me to always try to put myself in my child’s shoes. The job I do raising them is t about me. It’s about them.
Father, help me to empathize with my children. Help me to love them well, even as they are now young adults. Help me to do the same with others. For each person with whom I interact, help me to empathize with them and respond to them with your love for them.
In Jesus’s name I pray,
Amen
Emails to God 