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These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel. The
purpose of these proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline, and to help
them understand wise sayings. Through these proverbs, people will receive
instruction in discipline, good conduct, and doing what is right, just, and
fair. These proverbs will make the simpleminded clever. They will give knowledge
and purpose to young people. Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and
become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance by exploring
the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles.
Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and
discipline. (Proverbs 1:1-7 NLV). Over
the past week we have looked at seven different principles for Christian
parenting. Today we’ll se the eighth and final for this little series. There is no substitute for showing your children the truth through the
Scripture. Teach your children to know God and bring them up in the Church.
Parents will build a secure foundation for their children if the Bible is read
regularly in the home, grace is said at the table and family prayers take place
regularly. While it is best to start as early as possible, it is never too late
to share Scripture with your children. Everytime
I encounter a strong, vibrant human being, I always remind myself that that
individual did not come to such strength all by himself or herself. At the back
of every healthy personality lies one of the oldest and most significant of all
human arts, namely, the art of parenting. Here is human creativity at its
highest. But
these days the task of parenting ought to include far more people than just two
biological mates. It is becoming painfully obvious in our day that the isolated
nuclear family cannot bear the full load of parenting. In fact one of the finest
missions a church could assume would be that of "compensatory
parenting" where the natural family structure has broken down for one
reason or another. Back in the days when people lived in clan-like groupings, if
a child's parents became incapacitated in some way, other family members stepped
in to fill the vacuum. The same needs exist today, only we no longer live in
clans, so some other mechanism needs to function here. The Church could be an
expanding family which monitors what is happening to whom and then steps in to
help a child grow into those two most important realities, who they are and why
they are. Finally,
to really succeed as a parent one needs above all a happy heart, free of worry
and care. This allows one to carry the heavy responsibilities of raising
children with joy and confidence. That's why parents need above all a good
trusting relationship with their Heavenly Father.
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