Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Ephesians 6:4 ¶ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 6:4 ¶ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. |
Bible Question:
If this is OFF TOPIC, please let me know, as this is my first post. I am facing a difficult decision. My 19 y/o daughter is a Sophomore in College. She is very bright and excels in liberal arts (English,Philosophy, Theater). My daughter has developed a best friend (actually I feel the relatioship is overly enmeshed...but not sexual). My daughter's friend is a male homosexual. It appears that his influence in her life has outstripped any spiritual input she has had growing up (significant, but not legalistic). She has now announced that she will be moving in with her friend. I am in the dilemma of financing her education. She is of age. Do I cut her off financially? limit her finances (i.e. just tuition). My wife feels that we should continue to finance everything and "pray" for her. This is just about the only thing in my daughter's life that I have ever said "NO" to. She has (and is) a basically good kid, but has NO SPIRITUAL appetitie at this point. She has never attended church while at college, despite my encouragement, but not insistence. I am looking for godly, scriptural answers. Again, if this is off topic, I understand and will refrain. My daughter, myself and my wife are scheduled to see a Christian therapist on Tuesday. Apparently my daughter wants to let me know all the bad things I've done in our relationship...I am open to any wrongdoings and will surely repent of any, but there is nothing obvious, like physical/sexual/verbal abuse. Thanks for any assistance, Michael |
Bible Answer: I'm sort of trying to figure out how these threads work, so I hope this ends up in the right place. I am very open to the idea that I may have failed my daughter at some level that I am blind to. In such a case I will robustly ask for forgiveness. I have no problem with that. I have told my daughter "absolutely NO" only twice in her life. Once was when she wanted to go to a very liberal college in NYC that was completely self-directed. For her own career goals, I wanted her to get an undergraduate degree in a classical path as her long term goal is to get a Ph.D. from an ivy league University in some field in English and teach at university level. She did not fight me on that and goes to a very respectable secular liberal arts college. Her desire to live with any man (not dorm environment, but share apartment) is the second time I have said absolutely NO. It appears, at this point, that she has chosen to make this a line in the sand in which she probably has no intention of backing down. I think she considers my view of homosexuality as a sexual expression disobedient to God's revelation as moronic fundamentalism (I consider myself to be an evangelical, but certainly not a fundamentalist). As a health care professional, I have personally cared for many HIV patients in hospice programs and have always treated homosexuals with kindness and respect. I don't condone "fag hating" but refuse to see this as equivalent to a civil rights issue. Our family has always enjoyed close friendships with multi-cultural families, many of whom were some of my daughters chief playmates. In many ways, I am real confused right now. To answer an earlier question, I am providing my daughter with a college education so she will be able to make a living, care for herself, and hopefully give to others. Fortunately, I am in a position where I can afford to do this (though it is a stretch and a sacrifice.) Thanks for the input Michael |