Do Not Provoke
Your Children to Wrath

The Role of Parents

(Ephesians 6:4)

Children are not the possession of their parents—they belong to God. When parents ignore this and speak or act carelessly, pouring out their emotions without restraint, their children can be wounded in their hearts. As a result, the pathway of the heart that should be connected to God may be cut off.

1. Sincere Love
Excessive interference and control, a tone that fails to respect them as individuals, comparison and favoritism, pressure to achieve, raising them without praise, emotional scolding, and even disregarding their very existence—these things build up in a child’s heart and give rise to deep anger. This anger may not explode in words but often appears as discouragement and emotional distance—and in the end, it can lead to fear and distrust toward God.

2. Discipline and Instruction
Parents must discipline their children in love and teach them through the Word, according to the will of the Lord. Through this, they can lead their children toward a character that reflects God. “If others are doing it in secret, you can just do it too.” Such worldly tricks that parents pass on may end up drawing their children away from God. What children need most from their parents is a path in their hearts that leads them to the faithful and true God.

3. A Heart of Repentance
Some may feel pain from the self-reproach of not having raised their children according to God’s will. But we should not try to shake off that pain. Instead, we must live with a repentant heart for the rest of our lives. From now on, let us strive to become the hands of God to our children—and to all those whom God has entrusted to our love. Even when it feels too late, there is still something we can do. Our repentance, our efforts to change, and our honest and consistent way of life can still reach someone’s heart. God will treasure these things and use them for His beautiful work.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim