Parenting Jewels

Dear Friends,

Parenting encompasses life’s greatest joys and blessings, as well as, frustrations, challenges and heartbreak. It doesn’t take a parent very long to sympathize with these quotes:

Mother Nature, in her infinite wisdom, has instilled within each of us a powerful biological instinct to reproduce; this is her way of assuring that the human race, come what may, will never have any disposable income. ~Dave Barry

When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out. ~Erma Bombeck

In my devotional time in Proverbs, chapter 22, two verses give jewels of wisdom for parents in instruction and discipline within the home. Verse 6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (NKJV) and Verse 15, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.” (NKJV) Two quick parenting observations from these verses:

1. Train - to teach, give instruction, pass on skills, give practical experience, prepare, repetition, make plans, shape, aim at something, make something better, coach, and guide. You, the parent, are God’s primary Trainer for your child. Are you proactively, systematically and lovingly training your children, even adult children in the wisdom of God’s truth?

2. Rod of correction – removal of error, modification, punishment, alteration, improvement, adjustment, tweak, accountability, and redirection all lead to discipline within the context of love and security in the home.

Training and discipline are Biblical jewels of wisdom that can provide a foundation for effective parenting. Parents begin day one in providing training with the knowledge and fear of God with telling animated Bible stories, using finger puppets or playdough, and prayer and continue training through the years with ever increasing prayer.

Bill Cosby identifies the challenge of discipline. “In spite of the seven thousand books of expert advice, the right way to discipline a child is still a mystery to most fathers and... mothers. Only your grandmother and Ghengis Khan know how to do it.” The “rod of correction” does not give license to parents to beat their kids with rods, sticks or inflict any other form of physical abuse, it does however strongly state that discipline is necessary in parenting. Much can be said of this topic, but simply discipline begins when parents say “No” to something important with consistency, follow through and consequences. Parenting isn’t easy, we need both the toughness of Ghengis Khan and the gentleness and wisdom of grandmothers.

Blessings,
Pastor Tim