PROVERBS 1:8-10

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.

TO PONDER

Sometimes I wonder how much of my instruction my kid’s listened to.  There are times I wonder if anything at all sunk in. My parents probably think the same about me!  

As parents though, my wife’s and my instructions to our children would always be accompanied with a ‘why’. Too often the answer to ‘why’ when I was growing up, was ‘because I said so’. So when raising my three boys, my wife and I would tell our children what the instruction was, and why we were passing it on. 

Sometimes though, the ‘why’ was not required, as in learning to drive a manual car, changing a flat car tire, or roll-starting a manual car. No need for explanations in those circumstances.

But when mediating an argument, or stopping a fight, or giving advice, these always were supplemented with a ‘why’. 

And as people of faith, or living as children of God, people will occasionally ask why we do what we do, because often to the world we live in, it makes no sense.  And that answer is easy because He first loved us. Give that answer to the question and follow up from there.       

PRAYER: Thanks for your unconditional love, Lord. Thank you that we can live in your wonderful world as your followers. Thank you for parents, teachers, and all those in authority that assist us in our lives. Help us to listen to them more. Amen   

Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping