Today's passage builds on the fruit of the Spirit covered on Wednesday and the wisdom of the Word, covered yesterday and focuses specifically on the family. Those preceding insights give a solid spiritual foundation on which to understand today's wisdom. Family is used to describing God's relationship within the Godhead (i.e. Father and Son) and His relationship with His Church (Husband and bride).

Clearly, God places significant importance on these relationships and wants them to be healthy. Such close and intimate relationships can also yield some of the most catastrophic pain when not handled appropriately. We each need the Spirit working in us and the Word to sustain us to care for each other and love each other well through the unique challenges that these relationships can provide. Moreover, God gives specific instructions to different roles, because He has made them unique, each with important value to bring to the relationship and means of support to one another. May the word of God strengthen our physical and spiritual familial bonds.

[Colossians 3.18-21]

3.18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ What is God's specific instruction to each member of the family?

+ How does this instruction build up another member of the body?

+ What happens to each member when this instruction is not followed?

+ How did Jesus exemplify each of the actions or traits we were told to employ?

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ How are you employing the traits outlined in this passage? Where do you need to show these more?

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?