METANOIA: IT STARTS AT HOME

God sanctifies the institution of family (Gen 1:26-28, 2:18-25) & sets a standard for the role of parents/children (Eph 6).

God commissions the father as the parent responsible for setting the pattern & expectations of the household, while the mother nurtures & instructs. For that reason, mom & dad need to be totally in sync on their approach to parenting. Children have a job too, they are to obey & respect their parents (Ex 20:12). This models Christ’s relationship with the Church: Christ is the responsible authority that sets the standard & the Church nurtures the Body of Christ (the children) to grow in wisdom, strength, & reverence of the Lord.

Parents aren’t to over-discipline their children because it leads them to hostility &/or despair (Eph 6:4). Instead, parents are to raise them with correction & the fear of the Lord (Josh 24:15). Their jobs are continuous; they are constant guides to their children for as long as they are dependent on them. Their jobs are love-centered; they are to do everything out of love. Successful parenting has two keys to raising physically, mentally, & spiritually healthy children: 1) child nourishment & training, 2) corrective discipline through admonishment of the Lord.

God places fathers & mothers as the heads of the household & expects them to guide their children in the way they should go so that they do not stray from it (Prov 22:6). He orders them to discipline their children correctly & appropriately (parents who do not discipline their child are themselves, undisciplined & disobedient/hostile towards God). He expects them to be aware so they can protect them from the things of this world that seek to destroy them.

When we look at the world today, we see broken homes everywhere. It’s more common to find a broken home than a home that’s intact. The enemy’s favorite targets are two things: the family & children (notice how these are the two things our government wants most). Crime, drug use, & mental disorders all stem from this one thing. But what causes broken families? Our inability to control our sin. The lust of the flesh, the desire for tangible or monetary things, & quests for power (pride & adoration).