Our pastor has been teaching through the book of Ephesians, and this Sunday he preached from Ephesians 6:4a on how parents not to exasperate their children. I am a parent of four little ones and naturally this message is of particular interest to me. I think it is helpful that Pastor Cliff listed 17 common ways parents frustrate their children. I listened to each one introspectively to evaluate whether I was guilty of that particular behavior:

1. Favoritism
2. Neglect
3. Permissive parenting
4. Child-centered parenting
5. Legalism
6. Overprotection
7. Hyper-critical
8. Discouragement
9. Hypocrisy
10. Injustice
11. Wrong expectations
12. Unbiblical anger
13. Pride
14. False comparisons
15. Promise breaking
16. Public humiliation
17. Marital conflict

For detailed notes on this week’s sermon, you can open this pdf. If you wish to listen to this sermon, you can go here.

Pastor Cliff mentioned that in preparing for this sermon that after compiling his own list of ways parents can exasperate their children, he then asked his four children for ways he has frustrated them. It is extremely humbling to ask for one’s children’s opinion of how you’re doing as a parent. I decided that it’d be good for my soul to ask my oldest child (the younger three are too young to articulate) for his opinion of me as a mom. I was prepared for the worst, but I believe my son was kind in saying that he couldn’t think of anything that I do to frustrate him. Prior to soliciting for his input, I asked if he knew what Sunday’s sermon was about and he correctly answered, “Parents, do not exasperate your children.” He was listening after all!!! Even though he didn’t give me much feedback, I believe I need to strive to be a better mom to him. I think it is good for us parents to regularly ask our children how we are doing as parents and in what ways we are frustrating or exasperating them. It is very humbling, yet very sanctifying. This is what God would have us do.