Ellen Chat Conversation

# The Fear of God as the Foundation of the Christian Home Ellen White taught that "the fear of God reigning in the home will bring the softening, subduing influence of the angels, and the hearts of parents and children will be filled with holy joy" (19MR 86.5). This foundational principle permeates every aspect of family life, from daily worship to character formation. ## The Fear of the Lord: Beginning of Wisdom The fear of God is not merely reverence but the very starting point of all true wisdom and prosperity in the home. Ellen White emphasized that the law of God is to be the means of education in the familyand that "parents are under a most solemn obligation to obey this law, setting their children an example of the strictest integrity" (8T 199.3). This fear of God must be kept "ever before them" in all their ways and works (8T 199.3). It is not a temporary sentiment but a constant awareness of God's presence and authority that shapes every decision and interaction within the home. ## Parents' Spiritual Leadership and Responsibility Ellen White placed tremendous emphasis on parental responsibility before God. She wrote that "fathers and mothers who make God first in their households, who teach their children that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, glorify God before angels and before men by presenting to the world a well-ordered, well-disciplined family, a family that love and obey God instead of rebelling against Him" (5T 424.2). The father's role as spiritual leader is particularly highlighted. She taught that "the father is to act as priest in his own house" (10MR 188.4). This priestly role requires that the father obtain an education in correct moralsand that his "conduct in his home life is to be directed and restrained by the pure principles of the Word of God" (10MR 188.4). The father must stand "at the head of his family, not as an overgrown, undisciplined boy, but as a man with a manly character and with his passions controlled" (10MR 188.4). ## Daily Family Worship and Reverence In homes where God reigns supreme, "Christ is not a stranger in their homes; His name is a household name, revered and glorified" (5T 424.2). Ellen White taught that wherever the Bible is read, "in the family circle, the school, or the church, all should give quiet and devout attention as if God were really present and speaking to them" (5T 84). Angels delight in such homes where God reigns supreme and where children are taught "to reverence religion, the Bible, and their Creator" (5T 424.2). These families can claim the promise: "Them that honor Me I will honor" (5T 424.2). ## Character Formation and Christian Discipline Ellen White was clear that proper discipline flows from the fear of God. She stated that there must be no laxness in the principles governing the familyand that "the children are not to be allowed to be cross and refractory, for this is dishonoring to God" (19MR 86.5). She acknowledged the challenge parents face, noting that foolishness is bound in the heart of a childand that "the love of folly, the desire to do evil, the hatred of holy things, are some of the difficulties that parents must meet in the home mission field" (CG 87.2). However, she rebuked parents who fail to command their children after themand then "wonder that their children are perverse, disobedient, unthankful, and unholy" (CG 87.2). The first lesson of Christianity that must be taught is "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (CG 87.2). Parents who neglect this have failed to teach them the first lesson of Christianityand are under the rebuke of Godfor having "neglected to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (CG 87.2). ## The Power of Parental Example The influence of parental example cannot be overstated. When the father goes forth from a God-centered home to his daily duties, "it is with a spirit softened and subdued by converse with God" (5T 424.2). Such a father is a Christian, not only in his profession, but in trade, in all his business relationsand "does his work with fidelity, knowing that the eye of God is upon him" (5T 424.2). Ellen White emphasized that religion in the home is of vital importanceand that "upon fathers and mothers rests to a large degree the responsibility for the mold of character that their children receive" (7MR 409.1). ## The Consequences of Spiritual Neglect The dangers of removing God's fear from the home are illustrated dramatically in Ellen White's description of Jerusalem's fall. When God's protection was withdrawn, the result was catastrophic: "In the family and in the nation, among the highest and the lowest classes alike, there was suspicion, envy, hatred, strife, rebellion, murder" (GC 28.1). She noted that the fear of God no longer disturbed themand "Satan was at the head of the nation" (GC 28.1). This sobering example shows what happens when the fear of God is absent—even "parents slew their children, and children their parents" (GC 28.1). The lesson is clear: without the fear of God as the foundation, families descend into chaos and destruction. ## The Promise for Faithful Families Those who maintain the fear of God in their homes receive God's blessing and protection. Ellen White quoted Scripture: "The Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He hath commanded us" (Deuteronomy 6:24, 25, quoted in 8T 199.3). The fear of God brings not terror but joy, peace, and the presence of angels. It creates homes where children grow in wisdom, where parents fulfill their sacred trust, and where Christ's name is honored daily. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What specific counsel did Ellen White give about conducting family worship? • How did Ellen White describe the father's role in teaching children about God's character? • What did Ellen White say about the connection between parental discipline and children's future spiritual life? --- 📚 **thousands of passages found** containing these search terms — [Explore in Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=Fear+of+God+in+the+Family++%2A+The+fear+of+God+as+the+foundation+of+the+home+%2A+Daily+family+worship+%2A+The+spiritual+leadership+of+parents+%2A+The+father%E2%80%99s+role+as+priest+of+the+household+%2A+Christian+discipline+of+children+%2A+The+dangers+of+spiritual+neglect+%2A+The+influence+of+parental+example+%2A+Obedience+to+God+in+the+home+%2A+Character+formation+in+childhood+%2A+Holiness+in+family+life+%2A+The+consequences+of+parental+indulgence+%2A+Parents%E2%80%99+responsibility+before+God+%2A+The+religious+education+of+children+%2A+Reverence+in+worship)