Provoking to Wrath – What I’m Reading

“Scriptures tell fathers not to provoke their children to wrath (Ephesians 6:4). As we consider this, we should note that there are others ways to do this besides poking them with a stick. One of the more common is to do the opposite of what God does for us. No temptation comes to us but what is common to man, and God sees to it that there is a way of escape. But many times parents run a child’s day in such a way as to remove all resources from the child and then crack down on the child when their folly finally manifests itself. For example, it’s simply foolish to keep a young child up three hours past bedtime in order to visit with friends and then discipline the child for crabbiness. Small children need to be loved and tended, and discipline must occur in this context. This means that parents should have a mental checklist, particularly before a child can talk effectively. Is the child tired? Hungry? Thirsty? This is not to excuse sin. Rather, it means that parents need to take care not to stumble a weaker brother.” (My Life for Yours, p. 124)