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"TRAIN UP A CHILD..."
I. GOD FEARING PARENTS (Eph. 6:4; Tit. 2:3-5)
- Addressing the subject of rearing faithful children presupposes that fathers
and mothers really care about the eternal well being of their children. That presupposition means that there are
certain prerequisites to the whole process. It is no value to discuss "training up a child" unless the
parents of the child are willing to accept their appropriate roles as parents.
- Having understood those God-given rolls, each parent must shoulder his/her own responsibility
in the family relationship. God did not accidentally put the man over the woman (1 Cor. 11:3), nor did He lack
wisdom in saying that the husband is the head of the wife (Eph. 5:23). The "reversal" of those roles,
which is becoming common place in our culture, might be politically correct but it is not the best for the family
relationship.
- Families cannot be what God intended when God's design is not followed. Before men ever
become fathers and women become mothers, they should contemplate seriously, not only the joys of parenthood, but,
also, the awesome responsibilities. Ask yourself the question, what kind of a father will I be? What kind of a
mother will I be?
QUESTIONS
- Paul encouraged the Corinthians to "act like men," and "be strong"
(1 Cor. 16:13). What does that mean?
- Is there a "manliness" God associates with man and not with woman?
- How are fathers to act "manly" in the home relationship?
- Men, when you became Christians, you did not become a part of a faddish movement but
you did make a commitment to surrender self and serve Christ (Mt. 16:24). Furthermore, when each of you became
a husband, you made a vow to one woman to keep yourself for her and love her, to serve her needs above your own
(Eph. 5:23-29). As a father, what awesome responsibility do you have? What is your role in the family relationship?
- Women, there is a special femininity God gave uniquely to you -- a womanliness that befits
who you are and what you do. It cannot belong to the man. Is that an inferior, demeaning role?
- Being "woman" has its own special privileges. It also has its own responsibilities
that only you can do. Men cannot give birth to children. Men do not have the special beauty that women do. When
you became a wife, what commitment did you make? (Eph. 5:22)?
- Then, when you became a mother, your role changed somewhat. What responsibilities does
God assign you? (Tit. 2:3-5). Can anyone else shoulder those responsibilities for you?
- Without fathers and mothers accepting their God-given responsibilities in the home relationship,
children cannot be "trained up in the way they should go." Without fathers being fathers who take the
lead and mothers being mothers who keep their homes, the homes become, in varying degrees, dysfunctional and children
are neglected. What must be present, before you can have faithful children?
[Outline] [Purpose] [Recommended Reading] [Introduction] [Lesson
I] [Lesson II] [Lesson III] [Lesson IV] [Lesson V] [Lesson VI] [Lesson VII] [Lesson VIII] [Lesson IX]
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