Build A Godly Relationship With Your Children

Ephesians 6:4 NKJV “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

How would you describe your relationship with your children? Strained? Exciting? Heartbreaking? Enjoyable? Amicable? If you want a real revelation, ask them to describe their feelings about you and the family. What they would say may be shocking to you! And having a Christian home does not necessarily exempt you from conflict with your children. The flesh still rears its ugly head from time to time, and consistent bad habits can lead to broken communication, even in a Christian home. There will be resultant pain and strain in the family when Biblical principles are disregarded.  There are examples of such families in the Bible:  Rebekah loved her son Jacob more than his brother Esau, so she set him up him to deceive their father, Isaac, and cause division in the family (Genesis 27); Eli, the high priest, allowed his boys to run wild, and in the end it cost him his life (1 Samuel 3-4);  David preached one thing but practiced another, and his children were more influenced by what he did than by what he said (2 Samuel 11, 13, 15-16, 1 Kings 11). Nobody is immune from family pain and strain; not David, not Rebekah, not Eli, and not you! So, evaluate the state of your family and take necessary corrective action to remove any pain and strain. Take time to get close to your children. Deal with the barriers between you. You cannot change anything unless you are willing to acknowledge it, and sometimes change must begin with you. For example, does your lifestyle need adjusting? How about your priorities? What about the example you have been setting all along? Be honest and intentional in building a Godly relationship with your children!