God's
provisions for our parenting and mentoring experiences are:
(1)
Scripture (in its entirety) is our God-breathed handbook for
parenting.
(2) The Holy Spirit is our 'on-board' teacher of that handbook.
(3) Jesus is the personification of that handbook.
(4) The Heavenly Father is Christ's focus in His sacrificial obedience.
(5) We are to teach others in preparation for our eternal full fellowship with God in Heaven.
(2) The Holy Spirit is our 'on-board' teacher of that handbook.
(3) Jesus is the personification of that handbook.
(4) The Heavenly Father is Christ's focus in His sacrificial obedience.
(5) We are to teach others in preparation for our eternal full fellowship with God in Heaven.
We
hear: “Today's youth can't be fixed!”
“They're out of control!” “They're from another planet!”
If God is a liar and scripture
can't be trusted – back then and today – even in the simplest
terms, it might be a little more plausible to throw up one's hands
and tune out youth?
But the fact is, God has given
us a handbook for guiding parenthood that has withstood time and
Satan's toughest attacks. The 'start here' or 'sweet spot' of
scripture and putting our trust in it, likely would be King David and
his many points of scripture praise, in Psalms 119. I particularly
like his description in Psalm 119:103. “How sweet are thy
words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Go
ahead, try to imagine anything that tastes SWEETER than honey.
David sheds a little light, as
it were, in defense of his sweet scripture statement, a couple verses
later, as he says in verse 105: “Thy word is a lamp unto my
feet, and a light unto my path.” Slowing down and taking a
close look at this verse tells me a great deal about scripture and
prepares us for those three letter words, in a moment.
In verse 105 Shining 'a lamp
unto my feet', would tell me the condition of my shoes (my condition)
and would tell me if I was on the path (my staying on track). The
'light unto my path' shows me a little of the direction I'll be
taking shortly (my direction). It also will give light to dangers
along the path ahead (my protection). This wonderful little verse in
the shadows of 'sweet scripture', promise to aid my condition, am I
on track, my direction, and my protection. David, above all, can
certainly tell us, his 'sweet scripture' has been time-tested in all
types of warfare.
Now
for the three-letter words...
In the New Testament, the
Apostle Paul teaches young Timothy those three-letter words. The
word(s) are easy enough for even an eight-year old to understand. The
word(s) are “all”. Simple, right? Well... don't be too quick.
Most parents don't really understand the word “all”. Let's use
the word in a couple sentences that even refer to this scripture we
feed on, we call our Bible. Paul's lesson to Timothy in 2Tim 3:16,
states, “ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly
furnished unto ALL good works.”
It's not hard to see that
God-honoring parenting would certainly fit in that “ALL good
works”. The previous verse states the four major areas of
scripture's purpose: doctrine (rules), reproof (testing), correction
(discipline), and instruction (teaching). It's not hard to see all of
our life's challenges fall in one or more of these four areas.
To me, the ALL of “ALL
scripture”) is very significant. I might think differently if it
said “EVERY scripture”, but it doesn't. It's almost like that
first “ALL” is akin to the word “perfect”, in the next verse.
PERFECT here, means: complete – nothing left out. I believe that
scripture is not to be used in a 'pick and choose' fashion, what I
call Scripture Snacking.
I believe it cripples the power
of scripture to set a child down and just show him(or her) that an
incorrigible child, in bible times was stoned to death, at the edge
of town.
Scripture should be continually
totally 'fed' to the eyes and minds of our youth, AS A PREVENTION. A
healthy body requires a regular balanced serving of foods. Our
spiritual health is just the same. The balance of scripture 'feeding'
must include ALL of scripture – as often as we set down to bread.
