Dignity of Real Responsibility in Parenting

Mark Twain once said, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in 7 years.”

Wise parents do not perform in order to gain the applause of their immature, foolish children.

Sometime the little ones in our lives, don’t truly know what is best for themselves or our family . (We don’t live with a perpetual “yes day.” If we did I would be picking up a dog on our way to eat sushi and ice cream tonight)

We do what they know to be true and right—and in time, they believe their children will come along to the same conclusion.

In Proverbs we read it like this Proverbs 22:6 “6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

AWANA is only helpful as it points our kids to God’s Word

Truth comes through the Word of God John 17:17 “17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

Seeing those kids at tables quoting Scripture is one of my favorite things.

We will stay with AWANA as it stays with God’s Word. If it moves or we move away, you should find a better investment of time for your kids.

Tension of the Promise

Proverbs 22:6 “6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

That is a pretty heavy burden to bear for most parents.

Perfect training, produces perfect results?

We certainly see the results of children who had not been properly discipline or trained.

I Kings 1:5-6 “5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 And his father (David) had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.”

Even a prophet, Eli, had trouble correcting his kids at the dinner table

1 Samuel 2:29 “29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?”

Selah

Not my daughters name. But a cause to pause.

We think about this before we move on to consider the verse more.

We have been given the dignity of real responsibility with our kids.

We do not just say “whatever will be will be” or I “let my kids decide if they want to go to church”

Proverb, not a promise

general observations of life that are typically true.

Example: Proverbs 22:29 “29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”

Examples seen in the Bible

Bad sons follow good kings and vice versa.

The only perfect Father had a rebellious son. (God and Israel)

We are given the greatest opportunity of influence in the life of a child.

The eternal destiny of each child entrusted to our care is the most pressing matter in his or her life.

“In every step you take about them [your children], in every plan, and scheme, and arrangement that concerns them, do not leave out that mighty question, ‘How will this affect their souls?’” - Ryle

Be radically consistent and authentic in your own faith — not just in behavior, but in affections.

Be part of a Bible-saturated, loving church. Kids need to be surrounded by other believers and not just Mom and Dad.

Entrust your children into the hands of God.

We do all that we know to do right.

We apologize and teach repentance when we do wrong.

We thank God for the real responsibilty of getting to parent an eternal soul.

We caste our cares, even those brought to us by our children, upon the Lord because He cares for us.