The Path

Wise people see danger and go to a safe place.
    But childish people keep on going and suffer for it.

Proverbs 27:12 NIrV

Are you aware that an estimated 40,000 babies are born in the United States each year who have damage to the frontal lobe of their brain that controls critical thinking, problem solving, planning, reasoning and decision making? They suffer from a completely preventable disorder called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome because their mother consumed alcohol, which passed through the placental barrier and impacted, adversely, the development of their brain. It is a tragic epidemic worldwide, for those struggling with the disorder and those who must learn to navigate a culture that is being colored by the difficulties this tragedy brings into existence.

I wonder if one of the tragedies is that our communities, being full of people who are unable to make wise decisions, give us a false sense of pride in our own decision making. We tend to be a people of comparisons. “I may not be making the best decisions, but I sure am making better ones than they are!”

Let’s bring that home….

How are your kids doing compared to the kids who are struggling with frontal lobe damage? Great, I assume! But, is that the measuring stick that God wants us to use? We have the message from the Manufacturer that tells us what our children are supposed to do. Here are a few examples that we can and should be teaching them by our words and our example:

 “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19)

“Honor your father and mother.” Ephesians 6:2

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.” Psalm 107:1

“Love one another. Honor one another above yourself.” Romans 12:10

“Serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13

“Let no unwholesome words come from your mouth.” Ephesians 4:29

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37, 39

“Do to others what you would want them to do to you.” Matthew 7:12

In short, if we are to raise children to become adults that follow after the heart of God, we must teach them the way God created them to live. Not the way that is better than the other kids at school or a cut above the neighbors. The object is not to get them to follow rules, but to know the heart of the One who made them for a purpose. Going against His plan is like a Zebra who decides he wants to fly or a goose that would prefer to walk south for the winter. God’s ways are not about punishment, but about a plan He created for our own good.

So, what if they don’t want to go to church? What if they don’t want to have Bible stories read to them? What if they don’t want to eat their vegetables or go to bed on time? What if they prefer to hit their siblings rather than share their belongings or scream at you and refuse to listen to your instructions? What if they choose not to help around the house or they won’t do their homework? Well, there is a verse for that, too. It says, “Train a child in the way he should go,” Proverbs 22:6. The ball is in your court! You must train them by explaining that there are consequences for going down the wrong path, because no matter how badly you want them to end up in a great place, if you don’t put them on the correct path, your intentions are worthless. That means that the wrong path has to be taught as the wrong path. Period. Redirect them. Explain to them. Correct them as often as it takes to help them know that you are going to be the decision maker until they are old enough to make the right decisions on their own. It isn’t about keeping them happy. It’s about keeping them on the path to God. And don't for get to pray for wisdom. Every. Single. Day.

  “Lord, help me to see trouble coming long before it gets here. 

Give me the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it.”