Today's post is going to be a little like our Proverbs reading has been - a little of this and a little of that, all over the place - hope you can follow and that it's still meaningful to you!
"Train a child in the way he should go" Proverbs 22:6a
It seems like this verse is saying to train a child to follow Christ. And obviously, we should do that too. But what it actually means, according to my Life Application Bible (and I've heard the same from other sources before) is to train a child "according to the child's way". In other words, train them, taking into consideration their natural bent, their personality, their tendencies. We can't train all of our children exactly the same way and expect the same result. We only wish it would be that easy, right? Of course, in order to actually do that, we need to really get to know our children - not just our assumptions about them, not just the way we knew them a year ago (people change, even our kids!), but how they are now and what they need now. This is a continuous, ongoing, time-consuming process - but one that is vital to both a great relationship with our kids, and to the effectiveness of our training.
Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. Proverbs 23:31-33
Wine looks beautiful as it sparkles in the wine glass. But that beauty hides many deadly results that can come from indulging too much. Obviously one glass during a special dinner is not wrong in and of itself (though motive is always to be considered in everything we do). But oh, the danger and heartache that can result from drunkenness! Even just a one time episode of it can result in a lifetime of pain and consequences. Nancy Leigh DeMoss has a great article discussing this here.
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. Proverbs 25:34
Convicting enough on it's own. But Josh Harris' version in his sermon Self-Control in a Wired World is even more convicting, at least to me....
“A little web surfing, a little Facebook, a little folding of the hands around the smart phone and spiritual poverty will come upon you like a robber.”
OUCH!!!
Yeah, I know, enough said.
Our Acts passage is just inspiring. Peter and John are filled with courage by the Holy Spirit and preach fearlessly in front of the rulers and elders, knowing clearly the risks in doing so, charging them with the death of Jesus Christ and boldly pronouncing His resurrection.
And the key thing is: they cannot refute this claim. They know it to be true. They cannot produce a dead body. And yet still they do not believe.
People sometimes say that they are simply not intellectually convinced that the Gospel is true. However, that is often not the underlying issue. (It may be in some cases, but careful study can solve that dilemma). Sometimes, for whatever reason, people simply do not want to believe. The rulers and elders here had all the evidence they needed. And they still chose to disbelieve.
We are not responsible for what people do with the message, but we are responsible to be a testimony, to be a witness, to be ready and willing to speak the truth fearlessly when called to do so.
Tomorrow's passage: Proverbs 25-26, Acts 4:23-37
3 comments:
Tammy - that is a powerful post. So much to take away from here!! I love your point about getting to know your child where they are right now, not just your assumptions about them. Great words of wisdom here, thanks for sharing!
Proverbs 22:6 is the theme verse for our school and I just love that message. I loved reading your thoughts on it. Great link to the article on drinking. I want to read it more carefully over the summer. So true about our role in the message, we can't chose what others will do when they hear it, but we can choose to share it.
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