How to raise a child!

Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.

The last couple of generations have been ones of over-indulgence of kids by parents. Will all the best intentions we have raised spoiled brats. Or at least our friends and neighbors have. We certainly didn’t give in to that (said tongue in cheek). The lawlessness we see playing out in the retail looting is a testimony to our failure to instill the most basic of moral values.

But it is the older generations who bear the blame, or at least that is what psychiatrists used to say. “My parents messed me up. It is their fault I am the way I am.” If only it were that easy. Sin is much more complicated than we expect.

There has been a story in the news lately about the parents of a school shooter who were found guilty for the actions of their child. Well, really for their failures to act when they should have. If only they had acted earlier, lives would have been saved.

I believe parents need to intervene deeply and often in their children’s lives. Today it is much more important than in the past with the explosion of access to the internet. Social media will go down in history as one of the failures of society. It will be the downfall of civilizations! (Just ignore the prophet-sounding pronouncements. I don’t want anyone coming after me with stones if I am wrong!)

Being a good parent is very tough. The resources needed to help young people navigate this hyper-speed change world is staggering. I don’t know how parents do it in isolation. We need to work together to come up with solutions to our own inadequacies.

If we don’t figure it out, our kids are in mortal jeopardy. It is that important. Their eternity is at stake. Their legal residence might become the State Pen if we don’t help them navigate this obstacle course, filled with things we could never have even imagined when we were growing up.

If we just sit by and hope things work out for them, we become “party to their death.” We are connected to our kids, and we bear some responsibility for they way they turn out. Note: I didn’t say we bear all the responsibility, but some responsibility.

Let’s use our influence as parents or grandparents, aunts and uncles, to help parents do the best job they can. Be willing to walk beside these parents, supporting where you can to free up resources so they can intervene more effectively.