Proverbs 1:8-9
A family led by godly parents is a gift to the world. Those benefits aren’t just felt in the home, but in our communities, our churches and our country.
Pre-parenthood I don’t think I realized the enormity of the weight I would feel as a parent. I couldn’t have forecasted the responsibility I would shoulder for my children’s spiritual lives. And It wasn’t too far into parenting that I realized I would learn far more in parenting that I could ever teach.
Proverbs tells us that the wise young person will listen and heed the instructions given to them by their parents. And that’s all well and good, except what if the parents aren't doing the instructing? Too often we see young people who are caught up in foolish living and we shake our heads in judgement, but how many of these foolish youth are being instructed and guided biblically by their parents?
I’m a guilty party in this and I imagine if we are all honest we would all admit that though our intentions as Christian parents is well meaning, many times our laziness has determined whether or not we instructed our children in wisdom. Did I choose my phone over giving good counsel? Did I give in to a bad choice just to avoid an argument? Did I choose “me time” over the opportunity to guide my child to a good decision. This is the hard work of parenting. Did I choose immersing myself in God’s Word over self-helps, facebook, best sellers and reality TV? Have I done the learning of wisdom that it takes to do the teaching of wisdom?
Parents, we cannot expect our kids to make good decisions if we are not guiding them. If our instruction is weak, self-centered, lazy or inaudible they will not know the benefits of good instruction. It is our job, when we bring children into the world, to be parents who instruct their children so they have the tools to make solid decisions. It’s to be done in a way they listen and remember.
The result of teaching our children the value of making wise choices is the value it will bring to their lives and those around them. Verse 9 tells us that the wisdom that they will have will be like a garland or a jewelry around their head and neck. It will be a valuable resource that others will see and benefit from also.
So, before we shake our heads in disgust or frustration at this generation, Parents, we have to ask ourselves, “Am I doing the work of learning wisdom so I can do the work of teaching wisdom?” I don’t know about you, but I can always do better in this area. Let’s change the future by training for the future. Let’s be diligent in learning everything we can about what God’s word says, so we can teach and instruct and guide our children to make wise decisions.
Proverbs 1:8-9 Listen my son, to your father’s instruction, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching, for they will be a garland of grace on your head and a gold chain around your neck .