You fathers, do not provoke your children to anger!
Ephesians 6, 4

Again and again there are mails with reports about how much parents torture and mistreat their children, how much they abuse their authority and treat their children like slaves. People think that we are living in 2020 and not in the Middle Ages anymore, but man has not improved a bit, he still behaves like a brutal, merciless barbarian.
And Christian parents are no better than others, they refer to the Bible and demand obedience and respect, even though they don’t behave like Christians at all.
You parents, treat your children the way God the Father treats His children! Do not provoke them to evil! Do you want to be to blame if your children go astray? Only with love can you make your children into responsible adults. At some point they will fly out of the house like young birds leave the nest – then they must be fit for life! Good are fixed rules that everyone obeys.
Raise your children in such a way that you don’t have to apologize to God’s judgment seat. Sometimes punishment is necessary, sure, but it should be rare.
Above all, never take your bad mood out on your children, never make them ridiculous in front of others, never laugh at them! Show them daily how precious they are and how much you love them! Help, give instructions for life, demand achievement and responsibility, but never in bad faith. Forgiveness should govern our families.
One son already provoked me to anger by his presence, by his speech and gestures. I told the Lord my grief, and He answered me: “Forgive him for being as he is. – That helped wonderfully, since then he does not irritate me at all and I can love him as it is normal.
We only have our children a few years. We have to educate them to the love of God by showing that love.
How is God to us? That is what we should pass on. Faith should be as natural as breathing. Then God can put his blessing on it.
Unfortunately we parents do a lot of things wrong. How good that Jesus forgives us! And HE even wants to make up for our mistakes with the children. Only: Do not put pressure on the children, do not blackmail them! Never say: As a Christian you must not do something like this. – You only create a legal, dead Christianity, in which God is judge, but no father.

Oh Lord, I have done so many things wrong! Please forgive me and make up for it with the children! Give us a good father-child relationship that will last for eternity! Lord, You take care of my children and we will meet again in eternity. Thanks!