Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Cleansing
of the Church
Ephesians-6:1-4
Fathers,
do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the
training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)
Today’s
passage is one in a series of instructions to the Ephesian Christians on how
they were to manage all their relationships. Paul addressed the dynamics of the
child is to honor and obey his/her parents in the Lord. The guidelines are for
the family in the Lord, and are not necessarily expected to work outside the
believing home. If you follow this command, “that it may be well with you and
you may live long on the earth”. That means, your life will become more
meaningful.
The generation
gap is not a new phenomenon. But it has never been so conspicuous and
threatening as it is today. Drug addiction, the moral down-fall of parents who
are to be the role-models, the failure in family worship and the ebbing of
spiritual values are factors that have widened the gap. Though our society
still preserves the solidarity and sanctity of family life, the youngsters
today imitate some of the unhealthy tendencies of so called ‘modern culture’.
John Rosemont
has made the following suggestions to fill up the generation gap. 1)Find out
something to do in the company of your children and do it regularly. This will
give you the chance to encourage as well as correct them. 2) Don’t impose
anything on children. Give them the freedom of choice without compromising with
discipline. 3) When your children enter adolescence, assume the role of a wise
guide and not of a disciplinarian. 4) Find time to communicate with children.
Don’t let them feel that you are not ready to listen to them. 5) Let your
children see and understand the love and concern their parents cherish for each
other. This will give them a greater sense of security. 6) Express your love
not only in deeds but also in words. No matter how grown-up they are; don’t
hesitate to say “I love you”.
Let us
dedicate ourselves the generation gap that we have by loving each other, by
accommodating each other and by complimenting each other. God expects us to be
in communities and our church is an example for that and we are called to have
a community spirituality.
Prayer: Lord, help us to maintain a healthy
relationship between parents and children. Amen
Thought of
the Day: How is our
relationship with our children?
Rev. Jacob Varghese, NJMTC, Randolph