Papa B
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction
As parents we sometimes over spiritualize our children’s actions while at the same time not applying the same spiritual understanding to our daily life. Let’s take the simple phrase “I just want to get what I deserve.”
Simple enough.
If we as God fearing parents ever heard that phrase escape the lips of one of our children, we would immediately expound upon the need for grace and how much we have been forgiven and therefore we should always show mercy to others and that we should always turn the other cheek because Jesus paid the ultimate price for us and we should not be like the ungrateful servant who received pardon from much but won’t forgive a little debt and look what happened the children of Israel when they complained — it didn’t work out for them did it– so we should forgive others because as we forgive we are forgiven because that’s what Jesus said! Amen, stand and sing.
Then we get in the car and drive somewhere.
I think one of the hardest parts of parenting is living out your faith in front of your kids. It is a humbling experience to hear God preaching to me in my own voice as I “train up my child”.
Proverbs 3:6 says to acknowledge God in all your ways and HE will make your paths straight. I am grateful for his help.
Proverbs 1:7-9
Pro 1:7-9 ESV
(7) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (8) Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, (9) for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
Some children resist instruction and training from their parents but Solomon admonishes children to not reject the teachings of their parents. A father’s instruction and a mother’s teaching is meant for the edification of the child. Solomon frames this with the understanding the fearing God is the beginning of knowledge.
Practical application: We should not despise receiving instruction. Learning is a gift from God and we should think of every opportunity to learn (even from mistakes) as a custom tailored gift from the Lord.