孩子 – 家庭的果實
查爾斯.蘭姆（Charles Lamb)曾說, 世界上沒有任何事物他不願割捨的，只要能喚回已離開人間的母親;自己要跪在已逝的母親面前，求她原諒自己以前所作過每一件令她溫柔的靈魂傷心的行為。我相信，隨著歲月增加，每個有思想的孩子都會有這樣的感覺，並且已經能體會到父母為他做了什麼。
任何人都不應該認為孩子太小而在家庭的建造中所扮演的角色不重要。 好比手錶裡面的小齒輪 – 其中有的甚至超小 – 但它們对這手錶能完好運作的重要性卻是一點不少。一个小孩的脾氣可能是很壞，暴躁不安，會擾亂整個家庭； 這小孩也可能非常的可愛/貼心，為整個家庭带来平安歡樂。
順服
有三件事是為人父母該做的，那就是愛，管教和教導。而孩子的責任是什麽呢? 他們該做些什麽呢？
聖經並沒有說，“當父母做得對時，兒女當順從父母 ”。聖經是說，“你們作兒女的，要在主裏聽從父母，這是理所當然的”. . . 即便他們是錯誤的（以弗所書6:1）。有人可能會想要說，聖經裡並沒有太多有關於主耶穌早期生平的記載。.可是雖然只有幾句話的記載，卻非常的清楚明白。經上記載說：“他回到拿撒勒並且服從他們”（他們就是他母親與地上的父親）。而，耶穌是誰呢？這個順從的孩子是誰呢？他就是永生神的兒子。他是創造宇宙萬物的造物主。 相信沒有比這更美好的記述了。“萬物是藉著他造的；凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著他造的。”（約翰福音1:3）他是萬物的主也是天上至高的主宰。在順服的功課上，這是多麼完全的順服啊！
“你們做父親的，不要惹兒女的氣，只要照著主的教訓和警誡，養育他們。”（以弗所書6:4）許多年輕人認為順服並且服從父母是一件羞辱的事，是一種自我設限的約束，會限制了他們。你看耶穌是否有受到服從的影響呢？我們知道那並沒有影響到他。一個年輕的生命是不會被因受到真誠的基督徒父母勸告的影響而被誤導，而誤入歧途的。沒有一個年輕人是因為遵守敬虔的父母的引導而成長受到阻礙`受壓制或受傷害的。耶穌服從他地上的父母,直到他30歲 -直到他離開那個家，接受上帝所指派要去做的工。
這順服需要是絕對的；這是包括一切樂意的與不樂意的事。唯一的一個最關鍵條件就是“要在主裏”。兒女們“要在主裏”聽從父母。一個基督徒父母可能會要求兒女遵守那看起來好像不妥的指示， 但兒女必須服從。“你們做兒女的，要凡事聽從父母，因為這是主所喜悅的。”（歌羅西書3；20）可是我們也知道父母親也有可能犯錯。任何人叫我們去違反上帝的法則，無論那人多有權威，那都是不具約束的。如果有不敬畏的父母要求孩子違背神的話, 跌倒的將是父母, 而不是孩子。聖經說：“凡使這信我的一個小子跌倒的，倒不如把大磨石拴在這人的頸項上，扔在海裏。”（馬可福音9：42）
愛父母並且敬重父母
為人父母的可能已把“兒女在主裏聽從父母”以及“做父親的不要惹兒女的氣”這兩條誡命視為理所當然。然而這兩條誡命命彼此是相關以及互動的。如果有不信的父母強迫兒女也不信主的話，所造成的後果也將會落在父母的本身，而不是孩子的身上。
我不知道有什麼話是比這個更需要對要對我们的一些年輕人說的话了。例如，有個年輕女孩為她的母親感到羞恥。她看母親的容顏已經消逝，衣裳也不如以前精緻，雙手又因勞動而發紅粗糙。這年輕女孩為自己的母親感到羞恥，不願意介紹給來家裡拜訪的朋友們認識。又比如，這樣的羞恥感是針對父親的，因為父親的背駝了；兒女們可能為駝背的父親而感到羞恥。其實父親那黝黑受歲月風霜的臉，磨損的手，無聲的表達了一個事實，父親常年辛勤勞苦是為了要提供孩子在生命中能有比自己更好的機會和更好的生活。父母以兒女為榮，感到驕傲。然而少不更事的兒女也許羞於讓他們穿著時髦光鮮的朋友們，看到父親這 “老頭子”的模樣。
這些並不是我們想像出來的事。我們都知道有很多這樣的實際案例。你難道不曉得父母親那些因勞苦，年齡，關愛，因為要給你而自己缺乏，所造成的痕跡不正是愛你的最真實印記嗎？你父親母親為你傾注出他們的血汗，結果自己身上才有了那些痕跡的。
你會為一個為了保護你而失去了一隻眼的人感到羞恥嗎？如果不會的話，你的父母親所作的不僅僅只是保護你性命而已。他們經歷難眠的深夜與憂慮的白晝，他們在你患病是照顧在病床上的你。他們不顧惜自己生活上的需要，卻總是要滿足你的舒適。他們早出晚歸辛勤工作，好讓你不失去學習的機會，為了預備你以後有出息，能在世上能做大事。那是他們身上疤痕的來由，那是神聖的疤痕 – 你卻為他們感到羞恥？
在我們中西部的一個小城，有一個店鋪商人為了能讓兒子上大學，必需抵押他的店鋪才能供兒子的學費。他們夫妻兩人省吃儉用，節衣縮食，為了讓兒子能在同學當中衣著得體，有零用錢花。幾個月過去後，兩老耐不住想見兒子的心，他們帶著老馬拉著遙搖晃晃的馬車就向幾十英里外的大學城出發；（若不是為了湊錢給孩子，他們原本擁有一輛汽車的）。他們到達時正好是下課時刻。看見兒子亨利從大學走出來，他們就迎了上去。亨利周圍的同學們卻嘲笑那輛舊馬車和這對衣著寒酸的老夫婦。亨利停下腳步細看了看他父母，他頓時紅起臉來，回轉頭急忙走開，裝著不認識他們。兩老心碎了，拖著疲勞的身軀回家。當天夜裏老母親就與世長辭了。
如果讀到我這話的是年輕人你，可能受到旁人的影響而表現出類似亨利的，我懇求你千萬不要這樣做。。。如果你的父母親都還健在的，或是只有父親或母親一人還健在的，願你到他們面前，去擁抱他們，告訴他們你愛他們，感謝他們為你所作的一切。如果他們住在別處，離你遠，你現在抱不到的話，願你現在就給他們寫信！寫給他們一封長信，裝滿你的愛`喜樂和感恩的信！
兒女永遠不會老到自己不再是父母的孩子的。因此這個愛與尊敬需要不斷的付給他們，只要父母還活在人間就當如此待他們。生命中美麗的事物，沒有幾件是能比得上來自於成年兒女對於老邁的父母所流露的真情與深切的關愛還更美麗動人的了。這是非常討神喜悅的，絕對是令神心意滿足的！
當我們的父母親逐漸年老時，他們就開始與我們對換角色了。從前他們養育我們，如今卻是我們的特權與榮耀來奉養父親母親。從前他們為我們抵擋風浪，呵護我們；如今輪到我們替他們遮風擋雨，保護他們。我們現在強壯了，他們卻衰弱了。這是我們關愛回報父母養育之恩的好機會啊。其實我們能回報的也只是微不足道的小部分而已，因為兒女是不可能完全報答父母的愛與他們的養育之恩的。
生命中的最大滿足也沒有幾樣是比這個更令人內心滿足的了，就是知道在父母需要照顧/需要幫助時，你真實是用愛心溫柔來看顧他們了。這個滿足帶來的是靈魂深處的平安，這會讓未來到天堂時的團聚在期待中更加的榮耀。這樣子，能沒有因錯失機會去照顧他們的愧疚虧欠，內心沒有遺憾而能夠平安向父母道別的，確實是很蒙福！
Children – The Fruit of the Home
Charles Lamb said that there was nothing on earth that he would not give to be able to call back his departed mother, and on his knees, ask her forgiveness for every act that had grieved her gentle spirit. Surely, as the years advance, every thoughtful child has felt like this and has come to the realization of what his parents have done for him.
Let no one suppose that any child is too small to have a very real part in the making of a home. The wheels in my watch are small – some of them exceedingly so – but they are all important to the well being of that timepiece. A small child can be so ill tempered and fretful that he upsets the whole household or he can be so loving and thoughtful that he brings peace and cheer to the whole home.
Obedience
There are 3 things parents must do – Love, Discipline and Teach, but what are the duties of children in the home? What is their part?
The Bible does not say, “Children obey your parents when they are right”. It says, “Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right”… even if they are wrong (Eph. 6:1). Some would try to say that there is no record of the early life of our Savior. Only a few statements are recorded about his early life, but they are revealing. There are no more beautiful words than those which say of Him, “He went down to Nazareth, and was subject unto them” (that is, unto His mother and foster-father). And who was Jesus? Who was this Child who obeyed? He was the eternal Son of God. He was the creator of the entire universe, “for by him were all things made and without him was not anything made that was made.” He was the Lord and Master of all the hosts of heaven. What a lesson in obedience!
“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Many young people get the idea that to obey and to be subject unto their parents is a humiliation, a kind of self-imposed restriction, which will limit them. Did it have that effect upon Jesus? We know it didn’t. A young life won’t be hampered or led astray by following carefully the advice of earnest Christian parents. No young person was ever stunted, curbed or injured by obeying the implicit instructions of godly parents. Jesus obeyed his earthly parents until He was thirty years old – until He left that home to take up His God appointed work.
The obedience is to be absolute; it is to include those things, which are pleasant as well as, unpleasant. Only one key qualification is mentioned, “in the Lord”. Children are to obey, “in the Lord”. A Christian parent may require something that may seem wrong, but the child must obey. “Children, obey your parents in everything for this pleases the Lord”. (Col. 3:20) However, we must remember parents are fallible. No human authority, of any kind of degree, is binding if it bids us break one of God’s laws. If an ungodly parent demands a child to disobey the Word of God, the consequence will fall on the parent, not the child. The Bible says, “and whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe on me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea” (Mark 9:42)
Love and Respect of Parents
In all of this, we are taking for granted that parents keep before them the injunction which follows “children obey your parents in the Lord,” which is “parents, provoke not your children to wrath”. The relationship is decidedly two-sided. For an unsaved parent to demand that his children deny the Lord will bring about consequences on the parent and the children.
I know of no word that needs more greatly to be said to some of our young people than this. There is a young girl who is ashamed of her mother. She sees that her mother’s beauty has faded; her dress is not as fine as it might be; her hands are red and toil-worn. The young girl is ashamed of her mother and does not care to have her meet with her young friends who come to the house. Or the shame is directed toward the father, whose bent shoulders, tanned and weather-beaten face and crippled hands speak eloquently of years of toil and hardship that he endured so his children might have a better opportunity in life than he had. The young girl, or a young man may be ashamed to have their young friends with their fancy clothes and stylish dresses see the “old man”.
These are not cases drawn out of our imagination. We all know of many such cases. Do you not know that those marks of toil, age, care, and deprivation are marks that speak eloquently of love for you? Your mother and father received those marks in pouring out their very life’s blood for you.
Would you be ashamed of a man who only had one eye, having lost one in defense of your life? Well, your father and mother have done more than save your life. They have had broken nights and anxious days. They have cared for you in sickness. They did not consider their own comfort and pleasure, but rather denied themselves the necessities of life that you might have some luxuries. They rose early and toiled late that you might have the opportunity to study and prepare yourself for a great work in the world. That’s where those scars came from, and holy, sacred scars they are – and you are ashamed of them?
A merchant in one of our Midwest towns sent his boy to college. He had to mortgage his business in order to do so. He skimped and saved, and both he and his wife went without proper clothing in order that their son might take his place among the other students properly clothed and provided with money. After the lapse of a few months, there came into the hearts of the old couple an uncontrollable longing to see their son. They hitched the old horse to the rickety spring wagon (they would have had a car had they not given the money to their son.) and set out for the college town, twenty miles away. They arrived just as classes were letting out, and saw their boy, Harry, with a group of friends coming across the campus. As they approached him, some of his companions called out in ridicule at the old wagon and horse and the quaint clothing of the old man and his wife. Harry stopped, looked intently for a moment at his mother and father, blushed deeply and quickly turned aside and hurried off, pretending not to know them. Heartbroken, the old couple started the weary journey home, and that night the old mother died.
If these words fall into the hands of any girl or boy who is tempted to act as Harry acted, I plead with you, do not do so. If your mother and father – both, or either of them – are living, go to them, throw your arms about their necks and tell them that you love them and appreciate all that they have done for you. If they are not within reach of your arms, write them at once! Write them a long letter of love, cheer and appreciation.
A child never becomes so old that he or she is not a child to his parents. Therefore, this love and respect is to be paid to them as long as they live. Life has few things more beautiful than the devoted thought and love of a grown son or daughter to an aged parent. Such is very pleasing to the heart of God.
When our parents grow old, they exchange places with us. Once they nursed us, now it is our privilege and high honor to nurse them. Once they took the storm and protected us. Now we must take the storm and protect them. We are strong now, and they are feeble. What an opportunity to lovingly repay a part of this debt! It will only be in part, however. No child can ever fully repay the love and care of a godly parent.
Life has fewer satisfactions more intense than the thought that one has been true, kind and gentle to one’s parents in their time of need and dependence. It gives peace to the soul and makes heaven and reunion more glorious in anticipation. To be able to say “good-bye” to a parent with no regrets of lost opportunities is a blessing indeed.