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