Colossians 3:18-21 (NLT)
18 Wives, obey your husbands. This is what the Lord wants
you to do. 19 Husbands, love your wives.
Do not hold hard feelings against them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything. The Lord is pleased when
you do. 21 Fathers, do not be so hard on
your children that they will give up trying to do what is right.
There verses are about love and grace that should exist
in a home. In these verses wives are told to yield to the admonition or advice
of a husband according to what God would have the wife to do. The wife must
first be subject to the will and desires of the Lord and then to the husband.
For God first created Adam and from Adam created Eve establishing the order of
the family. Husbands have even a greater duty to love their wives as Christ
loved the church. Christ gave of himself for the church and husbands likewise
must give up themselves for the betterment of the wife. Husbands must not be
bitter towards their wife, nor unkind, never using harsh words towards them and
never treating them severely. They are to demonstrate the love of Christ in
their relationship and love at all times. Fathers are to pay particular
attention to the treatment of their children in that they are not overbearing
in their relationship with them. Fathers are to be a role model their children
will follow just as fathers should follow The Lord and model His character. Fathers
should encourage their children and never in an overbearing way that causes
them to give up because they fear can’t they live up to expectations that were
not meant for them. Ensure grace abounds with love in the home.
Denise Banderman wrote: In the spring of 2002, I left
work early so I could have some uninterrupted study time before my final exam
in the Youth Ministry class at Hannibal-LaGrange College in Missouri. When I
got to class, everybody was doing their last-minute studying. The teacher came
in and said he would review with us before the test. Most of his review came
right from the study guide, but there were some things he was reviewing that I
had never heard. When questioned about it, he said they were in the book and we
were responsible for everything in the book. We couldn't argue with that.
Finally it was time to take the test. "Leave them
face down on the desk until everyone has one, and I'll tell you to start,"
our professor, Dr. Tom Hufty, instructed.
When we turned them over, to my astonishment every answer
on the test was filled in. My name was even written on the exam in red ink. The
bottom of the last page said: "This is the end of the exam. All the
answers on your test are correct. You will receive an A on the final exam. The
reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you.
All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A.
You have just experienced grace."
Dr. Hufty then went around the room and asked each
student individually, "What is your grade? Do you deserve the grade you
are receiving? How much did all your studying for this exam help you achieve
your final grade?"
Then he said, "Some things you learn from lectures,
some things you learn from research, but some things you can only learn from
experience. You've just experienced grace. One hundred years from now, if you
know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, your name will be written down in a
book, and you will have had nothing to do with writing it there. That will be
the ultimate grace experience.”
Does the love of Christ, His mercy and grace live in your
family? If not ask Christ to be with you.
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