Deuteronomy 11:18-19 “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.(NKJ)
While living in California, we had our son enrolled in the boy scouts, along with flag football and later soccer. Our son was young and being the boy that he was, needed to burn off some energy in the field.
There was a family that had their son enrolled in boy scouts as well. But it did not end there with this child. After scouts, the boy was in young marines besides all the other sports imaginable. These parents had a disrespectful child on their hands, and their solution to the problem was to enroll him in organizations to straighten him out.
The problem was not the boy, it was the parents. Like it or not, our children are us. Children react in one way or another to the home environment, good or bad.
The scripture quoted above says that we are to teach our children. It is not up to an organization to do the job. These places should be an extra to what the child receives at home. The same goes for Sunday School and church.
Our most memorable times with our son was when the television gets turned off. We talked about school, work, classmates, family, e-mails, in essence, we talked about everything. Afterwards, we would pray as a family for our needs.
Are you having a bit of trouble with young children or teenagers? Take some time and listen to them, and to teach your children about the Lord and how He is working in your life. Inject some faith, hope and love into the relationship see your situation turn around.
Blessings in Him.
Stumble it!
Yvette
October 8, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Thank you both for your comments.
With the parents in the boy scouts, they did attend a few meetings but mostly dropped him off and wanted others to ¨do the job.¨
I too have been guilty of moving along in life and not spending enough time with my son. It was not until we moved back to Costa Rica, where I worked out of the home that I realized that this was missing in our lives.
We decided to not have television for the first six months, and it was the best thing we did. To this day, we turn everything off, and focus on eachother and pray for our needs.
Valerie Lynn
October 8, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Amen, we as parents need to be just that PARENTS! We need to teach and guide our children in the way of God. So many children today are growing up way to fast. All they need is attention, love, discipline and the Word of God spoken and read to them. I pray for the children of today’s world. There is so many more temptations out there now than when I was a kid. Lovely and informational post my friend. Blessings!
Valerie Lynn
October 8, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Amen, we as parents need to be just that PARENTS! We need to teach and guide our children in the way of God. So many children today are growing up way to fast. All they need is attention, love, discipline and the Word of God spoken and read to them. I pray for the children of today’s world. There is so many more temptations out there now than when I was a kid. Lovely and informational post my friend. Blessings!
boyandgirlscoutsdotcom
October 7, 2008 at 3:59 pm
It’s true what you described, but you didn’t provide enough details about the parents. In what way were they not providing the direction they should have? I’m sorry to say that even very religious parents may be doing a poor job. Scripture can be interpreted incorrectly if it is being modeled poorly by the parents.
If the parents were some of those drop-and-go kind then it makes sense. My biggest problem kids in my Scout troops are those that have disengaged parents. My wife is a big old mother bear when it comes to communication and we have many discussions with our kids so I think your point there is well given.
I only worry that some people feel that scripture can be a cure for other problems. Even Jesus noted that the Word can fall on land that will not take it and allow it to grow. If you have a patient gardener, though, in the form of parents, the words of love and understanding can grow in some of the poorest soil.
Teaching the children does not end with the words. Even the most powerful ones.