Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
His marriage is over, and now, after years of tension and coldness between the young man and his parents, he is back living with them while he tries to sort out his future. “I’m glad he came home,” his father said to a friend of mine. “I’m afraid we didn’t treat him the way we should have when he was a boy, and it’s hurt him.”
As they grow older out children become responsible for the decisions they make in life; Parents shouldn’t take upon themselves all the blame if these decisions are bad. But our failures do have an impact on them, making them more open to foolish or evil ways. Harsh, unreasonable discipline…neglect…favoritism…failure to express love…being too busy to give them any attention…failing to teach them the difference between right and wrong…all these and more can “embitter your children” so that “they will become discouraged.”
Don’t let this happen in your family. And if it has, ask God to forgive you and help you reverse it as much as possible.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Grant to our family the strength, tenderness, forgiveness and trust to lift up one another and to encourage and embrace each other in love, trust and truthfulness. Open our eyes to that which we must change and steady our steps to achieve those changes. Fill us with the patience, tolerance and determination necessary to follow your will in our family. And Father, heal all our hurts, disappointments and weaknesses so we may live together in harmony now and forever. Amen.
Looking up,
Dad
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