"THE CHRISTIAN HOME AND FAMILY"

The Duties Of Parents

INTRODUCTION
  1. Marriage as a sacred institution joins together a man and a woman...
    1. As husband and wife in holy matrimony
    2. Each with their God-given duties to one another
  2. We've considered the duties of husbands, who are commanded to...
    1. Love their wives
    2. Respect their wives
    3. Support their wives
  3. We've considered the duties of wives, who are commanded to...
    1. Submit to their husbands
    2. Love their husbands
    3. Manage the home

[God's purpose for marriage is to create families in which children have the benefit of parents who provide the best upbringing possible. For this to occur, parents must fulfill their duties...]

  1. THE DUTIES OF FATHERS
    1. PROVIDE LIFE'S NECESSITIES...
      1. Parents ought to provide for their children - 2Co 12:14
      2. A man who fails to do so for his family is worse than an infidel - 1Ti 5:8
    2. DO NOT PROVOKE CHILDREN TO WRATH...
      1. This admonition found twice in the Scriptures - Ep 6:4; Col 3:21
      2. By unreasonable commands; by needless severity; by the manifestation of anger - Barnes
      3. Lest by your continually finding fault with them, they should lose all courage, and despair of ever pleasing you - ibid.
    3. PROVIDE SPIRITUAL TRAINING...
      1. In the training (discipline, ESV) and admonition (instruction, ESV) of the Lord - Ep 6:4
      2. Training by way of instruction - e.g., Deut 6:6-7; 32:46; Ps 78:4-6
        1. Note that the Word must first be in the father's heart
        2. Then the father can lead his family like Joshua led his family - cf. Jos 24:14-15
      3. Training by way of example - considering the following: When the father is an active believer, there is about a seventy-five percent likelihood that the children will also become active believers. But if only the mother is a believer, this likelihood is dramatically reduced to fifteen percent. - Keith Meyering, Discipleship Journal, #49, p.41
    4. PROVIDE LOVING DISCIPLINE...
      1. Even as our heavenly Father disciplines His children - He 12:6-10
      2. Even though it may be unpleasant at times - He 12:11; cf. Pr 13:24

      [From the duties of fathers, let's now move on to...]

  2. THE DUTIES OF MOTHERS
    1. LOVE THEIR CHILDREN...
      1. As older women were to admonish younger women - Tit 2:4
      2. For sin can lead to a lack of proper affection - Ro 1:31
      3. Tragically, more than 200 women kill their children in the United States each year - American Anthropological Association
    2. MANAGE THEIR HOUSEHOLDS...
      1. A primary responsibility of the wife and mother - Tit 2:5; 1Ti 5:14
      2. An important quality of the virtuous woman - Pr 31:10-31
      3. The most creative job in the world involves fashion, decorating, recreation, education, transportation, psychology, romance, cuisine, literature, art, economics, government, pediatrics, geriatrics, entertainment, maintenance, purchasing, law, religion, energy and management. Anyone who can handle all those has to be somebody special. She is. She's a homemaker. - Richard Kerr quoted in Homemade, Feb. 1989
    3. PROVIDE SPIRITUAL TRAINING...
      1. Especially when male leadership is lacking
      2. As seen in the case of Timothy
        1. His mother was a Jew, his father a Greek - Ac 16:1
        2. Perhaps contributing to Timothy not being circumcised - cf. Ac 16:3
        3. But Timothy had become a disciple, well spoken of - Ac 16:2
        4. His faith positively influenced by his grandmother and mother - cf. 2Ti 1:5
      3. Too often, fathers neglect spiritual training, leaving mothers to pick up the slack
CONCLUSION
  1. Blessed are the homes in which...
    1. Fathers fulfill their duties as Christian men
    2. Mothers fulfill their duties as Christian women
  2. No home is perfect, and as fathers and mothers we often fall short...
    1. But with God's grace and mercy, let us do the best we can
    2. Let us give our children the guidance that they may succeed where we have failed

Finally, some food for thought:

Seven Ways To Impact Your Child's Faith
  1. Model a growing and personal faith. [If they don't see it, they won't catch it.]
  2. Include faith in normal conversations.
  3. Be well-rounded. [Don't compartmentalize your faith.]
  4. Be authentic.
  5. Serve together
  6. Pray for your children and with them.
  7. Learn and communicate love in their language.
    8. -- The Relaxed Parent by Tim Smith