My step dad has become a very religious man, which is great for him. But he has no relationship with my mom, doesn’t ever contribute any support to the family, and just sits in the garage studying the Bible on the internet. He only speaks to her to remind her she’s supposed to submit to him. He believes the Lord wants him to do this and it’s the right way to live. He has withdrawn himself completely from every day normal life because he’s convinced the world will end soon. Even if that’s true, is this really how the Lord wants him to live?
Your step father may spend all his waking hours studying the Bible, but that’s not where the idea of how he should live came from. And he sure has the marriage relationship wrong. Colossians 3:19 says, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her,” and 1 Peter 3:7 says, “Husbands, be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect.” As for children, Colossians 3:21 says, “Fathers do not embitter your children or they will become discouraged.”
In 2 Thes. 3:10 Paul wrote that if a man will not work he has no right to eat, and in 1 Timothy 5:8 he wrote that if a man does not provide for his relatives and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
If your step father wants to obey the Lord he should change his attitude about what a marriage is, get out of the garage, and start providing for his family.