Paul Writes to Children - Colossians 3:20

Paul desired harmony and unity among the church members in Colosse. Judaizers and Gnostics who were false teachers among them were causing disunity because of their heresies, and Paul told the Colossian church the importance of charity, peace, thankfulness, and manifesting their faith through their word and deeds. He began addressing specific groups of people within the church which began with wives and husbands, and in chapter three and verse twenty of his letter, he wrote to the children who were among them. We read:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

The verse begins, “Children, obey your parents in all things:” Once again Paul has targeted a specific group in which to give instruction - “Children”. These were the offspring of those within the church body in Colosse, and they were to “obey your parents” which means “to listen to, hearken to and submit to” their “fathers and mothers”. Notice too they were to “obey” “in all things” which means “individually and collectively” everything their parents requested and demanded of them.

The verse goes on to say, “for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” There is a qualifier to the “Children's” obedience which was “for this is well pleasing” or “acceptable” “unto the Lord” who is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's as though when children obeyed their parents, it made God smile, and He was “well-pleased” with them.

Obedience from any faction seems difficult at times, and as we meditate upon this verse we may remember times when we obeyed our parents and other times when we did not. There is unity and harmony when children are obedient to their parents, and when the parents are Christians like these church members of Colosse, there should be no unreasonable or ungodly demands put upon their children. Rebellion from a child bring chaos and disharmony, and it is not “well-pleasing” unto the Lord when it occurs. Perhaps as we think on Paul's words we will remember what it is to be a child, and perhaps what it means to govern over a child in a parental role. May the Lord help us to be “well-pleasing” in whichever role we find ourselves.

Next time Paul addresses fathers, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.