Saturday 28 April 2018

A Parental Imperative

A Parents Imperative
The writer of Proverbs tells us,
“Train a child in the way he should go, 
and when he is old he will not turn from it.” 
                                                 Proverbs 22:6
As believers in Christ Jesus it is imperative that we teach our children not only about the arts, about literature, the sciences and such. We must also teach them about our faith and our values.
    As good as knowing all the world has to offer with respect to education, if there is no positive value system behind that, knowledge can and quite often will be use for evil.
C. S. Lewis wrote,
“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.” C. S. Lewis.
In Deuteronomy we read a portion of scripture that I believe Jews refer to as, Shema Israel. It reads,
“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk to them when you sit in hour house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up
     You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
Jesus in the gospel of Mark is quotes this when asked,
“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”  Mark 12: 28-30
Jesus goes on to say,
"The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31
As believers in Christ Jesus we need to teach our Children this, in word, and in deed. For in doing so we will put them on not only a good moral road in this world, but on the path that leads to eternal life with God in heaven.
Please think about it.

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