Those who think that faith is something that is private and should be kept within the home have clearly never actually read the Bible. In this last part of Ephesians which we have been looking at over the last few weeks Paul has been teaching how our faith should make a difference to our relationships - first in the home, between husband and wife, and parents and children, but then in the workplace.
In 6:1-4 Paul is writing to children and parents. He goes back to the Ten Commandments and points out the link between proper relationships between children and parents and the communities well being in the land that God was going to give them. Somewhere along the lines our society has got things wrong when it comes to bringing up children. He is also highlighting the vital role fathers play in bringing up their children. As a society I believe we are reaping the consequences of social breakdown; of parents who are either unable or unavailable to discipline their children; of a government whose policy seems to be - at the very time when fathers are noticeable by their absence - to send mothers back to work rather than encourage one parent to stay home and raise their own children... It does not go well with us in the land.
How do fathers 'exasperate their children' and how might we address this? Just a couple of thoughts:
Lack of clear boundaries - or boundaries not consistently enforced. So children don't know where the limits are, and don't know from one day to the next what reaction any action will receive.
No time. Our society pushes us to work harder to achieve more - getting home later at night, and working weekends. When we're home we're constantly in touch with others through the mobile phone or email - and our children can quite quickly come to the conclusion that they are less important than the phone or the computer. Instead how about not answering the phone but letting the answer machine pick up - and only dealing with the messages after the children are asleep - assuming that you've not set aside that time to spend with your husband or wife!
Instead we are to nurture our children in the ways of God - primarily by example, and through praying with them, reading with them, helping them take part at church ...
Then Paul comes on to talk about slaves and masters (5-9) - which we can, I think, update to employee and employer without missing the point Paul is making.
As an employee I must be the best that I can be. Totally trustworthy. If I'm allowed a 15 minute break in the afternoon I don't take 20. I don't help myself to office stationary. My boss should have total confidence that whether she or he is watching me or not the job will get done as well as I can do it.
And as an employer I should have people queueing to work for me, because I value them, I respect them, I recognise that they have families to get home to, so I don't ask them to work Saturday mornings. Those who work for me are created in the image of God. I don't look to abuse power, to manipulate situations. Instead I look to encourage and build people up so that they can achieve their full potential. Because I am secure of who I am in Christ I don't feel threatened by others and therefore feel the need to crush them to keep them down.
