How Fathers Provoke Their Children to Wrath by Omission – Wrath by Omission

Understanding Key Terms: Provoke and Wrath

Provoke = stir up, incite, aggravate, frustrate, embitter (cf. Colossians 3:21 – “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”)

Wrath = anger, resentment, bitterness, rebellion (cf. Ephesians 6:4 – “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath…”)

How Omissions Stir Bitterness in Children

1. Failing to Teach the Word of God – Wrath by Omission

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 – “And these words…thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…”

A father who neglects this duty leaves his child vulnerable to the lies of the world. Omission leads to frustration—the child senses the absence of truth and may turn to the wrong sources.

2. Neglecting Regular Church Attendance – Wrath by Omission

Hebrews 10:25 – “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…”

When a father is inconsistent in worship, his child learns to see God’s house as optional. This can result in spiritual alienation, where the child becomes bitter toward the things of God.

3. Not Enforcing Structure and Discipline – Wrath by Omission

Proverbs 13:24 – “He that spareth his rod hateth his son…”

A child without correction may grow arrogant or lost. Lack of structure is not love—it’s neglect. Rebellion is often born where righteous discipline is absent.

4. Avoiding Conversations About Sin and Obedience – Wrath by Omission

Proverbs 29:15 – “…a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

When sin is left unaddressed, a child may mistake silence for approval. That internal confusion can turn to resentment, especially when consequences arrive later in life.

5. Not Modeling Respect for Authority and Others – Wrath by Omission

Titus 3:1–2 – “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers…to speak evil of no man…”

A father who mocks or resists authority teaches contempt to his children. This often breeds cynicism, leading children to reject all forms of leadership—including God’s.

6. Failing to Show Affection and Encouragement – Wrath by Omission

1 Thessalonians 2:11 – “As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children.”

Children crave affirmation. Without it, they question their worth. Discouragement sets in, and in time may become bitterness or anger.

Closing Thoughts: The Lasting Impact of Omission

A father’s silence in spiritual leadership is not harmless—it is shaping. When he omits truth, correction, love, and example, he does not create a neutral space; he creates a vacuum that may be filled with confusion, rebellion, or deep emotional unrest.

Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

But training requires presence, purpose, and persistence.

If these elements are missing, wrath will often follow—not only in outward behavior, but in inward struggle. A child not provoked by harshness may still be stirred to wrath by absence. So let fathers rise with intention, leading in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), lest their children grow angry, aimless, or alienated from the God they were never taught to know.

How has your father’s teaching (or absence of it) shaped your spiritual journey? Share your thoughts below.