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| Vol. 13 No. 5 May 2011 | Page 11 |
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| Vol. 13 No. 5 May 2011 | Page 11 |
Dean Kelly
What, I ask, is the most powerful thing that the Most Powerful God created and placed upon the face of this earth? What is the greatest thing on earth, short of the salvation that God has authored through His Son?
Was it the mighty dinosaurs that once walked the earth along with man? I say no, because they have failed to survive the age’s tests.
Is it the rolling ocean waves that slap the coasts throughout the world? I say no, because God has set their boundaries, and only occasionally are they allowed to pour their fury beyond those bounds.
Is it the mighty hurricane, or the fierceness of a tornado that suddenly makes its deadly appearance and leaves a path of destruction behind? I say no. Those just mindlessly follow the commands of nature’s laws, and leave behind destruction and despair.
What then is the most powerful thing that the Great Creator put upon this earth? I believe that we can surmise such a thing.
The most powerful thing that God has placed upon the earth is able to be gentler than the morning mist that softly tickles the grass on a spring morning. Yet, when it is necessary, this greatest thing can show a fierceness that would rival the most powerful of beasts.
This most powerful thing can heal the wounds of the body, the heart and the spirit – or at least will give all in an attempt to do so. This greatest thing can provide a gentle touch, and yet can deliver the firmness that will save a life.
You see this most powerful thing every day. You watch as she holds a tiny life within her hands. You see her smile, you watch her cry. You hear the voice of a child who cries for her, and no one else will do. She is a Mother. Sadly, some misuse this power given into their hand by God. When that happens, lives are destroyed and horrible paths are followed. However, it seems to me, more often than not, mothers are a force that fulfills the purpose for which they were created: to love unconditionally; to nurture untiringly; to teach uncompromisingly; to bear, to guide, and to sustain life.
Look into the eyes of a mother as she holds her newborn baby in her arms. In her eyes is the source of her great power – in her eyes you can see love. Yes, I challenge anyone to find anything more powerful than mothers.
Today, we honor you, all of you mothers, the most powerful thing with which God has blessed this earth. Happy Mother’s Day!
Mark N. Posey
The parent/child relationship is very special (cf. Psalm 127:3-5). This relationship is so special that God used it to describe His relationship to the church (Ephesians 5, 6). However, it seems no matter where we look in modern society, we see antagonism, division and rebellion against the home and the parent/child relationship. We need to improve our families, and in doing so we will improve the church. What is the answer? We must submit to the Lordship of Christ. We must “gather together in one all things in Christ”(Ephesians 1:10). The parent/child relationship must be studied with four words in mind (cf. Ephesians 6:1-3; Philippians 2:22; Ephesians 6:4): obey, honor, serve and nurture.
First, Paul sets forth what is called a Natural Law. Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” Children should obey their parents for it is the “right” thing to do! The Greek word translated “obey” comes from one word meaning “under” and another word meaning “to listen.” Thus, it literally means, “to listen under.” However, a parent must be worthy of obedience and listening (i.e., “in the Lord”). Children are to obey their parents in those things that are consistent with Christ and His Word.
Second, Paul makes use of a Divine Law. Ephesians 6:2-3, “Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Paul refers to the 5th Commandment in Exodus 20:12. Commandment #5 was the first in the list that had a promise attached stressing the idea that God blesses obedient children with a much better life than the disobedient. To honor parents involves loving, regarding them highly and showing respect. What it means to honor our father and mother may change as we grow into adulthood, but the principle always endures. The adult child does not owe the parent obedience, but he does owe parents honor!
Third, Paul sets forth a Practical Law. Philippians 2:22, “But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.”Paul identified Timothy as a son serving with his father to spread the Gospel message to the lost. The Greeks had five words for love. One of the words was “storge” – love that exists between parents and children. This kind of love is the binding agent by which families stick and stay together no matter how tough times become.
Fourth, Paul sets forth a Reasonable Law. Ephesians 6:4, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Paul declared that the father has several responsibilities in regard to his children, for example: fathers must not provoke their children to wrath (Colossians 3:21); fathers must discipline their children (Hebrews 12:5-6; Proverbs 13:24) and fathers must demonstrate love when disciplining children, lest he do it anger and take the chance of injuring the body or spirit of the child.
Improving our homes requires a plan. When improving our individual spiritual lives, we turn to God because He has a home improvement plan. Thank God for passages like Ephesians 6:1-4 and Philippians 2:22.