THE CHRISTIAN HOME
18 WIVES, SUBMIT TO YOUR OWN HUSBANDS, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES and do not be BITTER TOWARDS THEM.
20 CHILDREN, OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN ALL THINGS, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
21 FATHERS, DO NOT PROVOKE YOUR CHILDREN, lest they become discouraged."
Colossians 3:18-21 (NKJV)
In the above passage of the Bible, wives are admonished to submit to their husbands as it is fitting or supposed to be in the Lord (Colossians 3:18).
It is discovered that the Bible is being challenged in this present time. We are already at the time that the Bible says people would not endure sound doctrine:
3 FOR THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THEY WILL NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE, BUT ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN DESIRES, BECAUSE THEY HAVE ITCHING EARS, THEY WILL HEAP UP FOR THEMSELVES TEACHERS; 4 AND THEY WILL TURN THEIR EARS AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, AND BE TURNED ASIDE TO FABLES" (2 Timothy 4:3,4 NKJV).
Many who would not want to obey the Bible are now challenging the authenticity and the veritableness or indisputableness of the Bible.
When the Bible says wife should submit, today's wife would not want to do that and they want to challenge the statement. Biblical values that were held in high esteem or honour in the past are now being challenged and disputed. Nonetheless, modernity cannot change or negate God's stand on a matter. If God says wife should submit to their their husbands thousand of years ago, He is still saying the same thing today without mincing words. God has not changed and His Word has not as well!
The husbands are advised not to be bittered towards their wives because the women can be provoking or annoying at times. They can allow pettiness and be concerned about things of small importance or unimportance. Showing an excessive concern with unimportant matters or minor details, especially in a narrow-minded way. In fact, It takes a level of maturity, levelheadedness, for a man to be a husband and be able to keep and manage a woman or wife. These and a number of other reasons the passage says husbands should love their wives and not be bittered towards them (Colossians 3:19).
Children are also admonished to obey their parents in all things, for it is well pleasing to God (Colossians 3:20). Today's children, the young adults, spend a lot of time on social media or before the television and a lot of intoxicating things that could make them corruptible are learnt there. Today's children want to correct the adults and want to believe that they do know better than those who are older than them. They want to believe that they have knowledge, they even want to correct their parents because they do believe they know better, thus they are recalcitrant. There is no knowledge that can negate or counter the knowledge of God's Word because there is no new thing under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
Children have a lot to learn from their parents If they would humble themselves and obey the Word of God and learn from the wisdom and experience of their parents.
Fathers are also admonished not to provoke their children, lest they become discouraged: "FATHERS [or Parents; Hebrews 11:23], DO NOT NAG [aggravate; exasperate; provoke] YOUR CHILDREN [Ephesians 6:4]. IF YOU ARE TOO HARD TO PLEASE, THEY MAY WANT TO STOP TRYING [become discouraged; lose heart]" (Colossians 3:21 Expanded Bible).
The emphasis here is, fathers should not be too hard to please and should not be irrational or illogical in their demands—in the instructions they give.
They also should give commendation or praise and appreciate whatever good thing that is done by their children. This could go a long way in encouraging and boosting the morales of those children. Those of them who are at the age brackets of teenage, adolescent and young adulthood always want validation, what could encourage and affirm the good decision they made especially If such encouragement or affirmation or commendation comes from someone they revere or respect and honour. Thus, fathers should always be their to encourage them in whatever good decision they made.
We could see that every member of the family is addressed and admonished in the passage of the Bible, the text of this teaching; whichever portion addresses your case, you would do well to heed the Word, the admonition, and put it into practice.
Peace.