Mga magulang, huwag kayong gumawa ng mga bagay na ikagagalit ng inyong mga anak. Sa halip, palakihin ninyo sila ayon sa disiplina at katuruan ng Panginoon.

Mga Taga-Efeso 6:4

Napabalita dati ang isang student na inipon ang kanyang allowance para makapanood ng BTS concert. At dahil sikat na K-Pop idols ang BTS, napakamahal ng mga ticket. Galit na galit ang nanay ng student dahil hindi niya maintindihan kung ano ang meron sa K-Pop para gastusan ng ganoong kalaki. Marami na kasi sa mga kinahihiligan ng younger generation ang hindi na talaga masakyan ng maraming parents. Games, music, social media, memes, mga bagong salita at trends — mga bagay na pinagmumulan ng conflict between parents and their kids. Sa ganitong situation, parents can become overbearing, and kids, disrespectful. Yet Paul reminds us: Do not exasperate your child.

Hindi lang frustration natin in raising our children ang dapat i-consider. Valid din ‘yung frustration ng mga bata. Mas meron tayong discipline at self-control kasi adults tayo. We have gone through many life experiences and have learned to deal with them. Even then, we can still make bad decisions. How much more for children, na marami pang kailangang matutunan at maranasan sa buhay? They are persons who are going through life, just like us, pero mas kaunti ang skills at knowledge nila, and highly dependent sila sa adults to survive. So it’s easy for them to fumble and make mistakes. In their innocence and immaturity, dapat ba natin silang i-aggravate pa in the way we deal with them?

Tularan natin si Lord, sabi nga ni Paul (Ephesians 5:1). And what kind of Father is God? He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6). Kung ganito tayo tratuhin ni Lord bilang mga anak Niya, shouldn’t we be the same with our own children, especially when we discipline them?