Paul carried always the deep conviction that the working power of God’s grace and strengthening power of His Kingdom should be at work in our families. He gave much more attention to this in his Epistle to the Ephesians, but there are some very straightforward and meaningful words here in Colossians 3:18-21—

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

This is a clear passage. There should be no difficulty in understanding it—that is, if we will take into account the whole of what is laid out before us. Perhaps the best way to do this is by observing the Imperatives in the passage throughout. To the wives, the Imperative is submit. This is a word that means simply “be submissive.” To the husbands, the Imperative is love and be not bitter. What an all encompassing command! It should be noted that the word love speaks of that kind of love expressed by the word agape’. This is that selfless love, that puts the concern and need of others before one’s own concern and need. And, how interesting that the Holy Spirit caused the Apostle to include the admonition be not bitter. Bitterness is a defiling trait. Let all who are husbands renounce it this very day. Let the Lord cleanse the heart of every husband of its dreadful influence. It must also reach into the wife.

To the children, the Imperative is obey. It means listen to what your parents say and do not rebel against their counsel. A father who loves his wife as Paul has admonished him to do will have little problem calling forth obedience from his children.

Then, there is one further word to the fathers. This would mean whoever exercises the discipline in the household, for unfortunately, there are many homes in which the father does not exist. To the one who brings the discipline, the word means “do not exasperate, do not incite them to anger. This would bring great discouragement upon children and cause them to reject the ideals the discipline is meant to bring about.

LOVING FATHER, bring into my own life, and into the lives of these I hold before You, the qualities we are encouraged to embrace in the Scripture for today. Bring healing into these I now name before You. Their lives have been damaged in homes where these qualities have not been at work.

These make for a pleasant mother in the home. When she is happy, those around her are happy.