Read: Proverbs
1:5-16
My son,
hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
Proverbs 1:8
When I was
growing up, I was like most kids when it came to eating dessert. If I would
have ever been given the choice between eating real food or eating dessert, I
would easily have chosen dessert every time. Tasting the sweetness of
cheesecake or a chocolate éclair as it slides over your tongue and down your
throat is something that just cannot be experienced by eating broccoli or
carrots. For me, fish or scalloped potatoes should not even be allowed in the
same sentence as warm fudge brownies with ice cream. (Wait, I think I just
broke my own rule – oh well, you get the point.) I think even kids must admit, however,
that their parents must step in and make them eat real food. Dessert, though it
tastes wonderful, is not as healthy as eating meat and vegetables. An early
death is the only thing on the menu for someone who spends their life eating
only dessert.
Why is it then, that young people get so
upset when their parents try to set rules that will help keep them healthy in
other areas as well? If young men are given a choice between listening to rock
music or good Christian hymns, many will choose the music of the world. If
given a choice between hanging out with friends who emulate the world or those
who have chosen to follow God, most would decide it was more “cool” to hang out
with the worldly crowd. That doesn’t necessarily make him a bad person, but it
does show the natural tendency of a young man to do what is easier and what is
more pleasing to his flesh rather than choosing the more difficult but
healthier path. That is one of the reasons God gave you parents – to step in
and set the boundaries that help you make the healthy spiritual choices.
Now
that I am an adult, I can eat anything I want to eat, but my parents taught me
well when I was growing up. Though I still enjoy a sugar-laden dessert, I make
healthy choices for myself and eat right. In much the same way, the spiritual
rules and boundaries once placed on me by my parents have helped me to now make
the spiritually healthy choices on my own, as well. Just as I am tempted to eat
dessert first, I am still tempted to sin, to follow the world, and to try to
“fit in.” Knowing what I now know about keeping a healthy spiritual
relationship with God, however, I am thankful for the rules my parents did set
up to help me learn what is best for me. As you keep the right attitude and
submit to your parents, you, too, will one day reach the same conclusion.
Quote of
the day: “If a man could have half his wishes, he would double his
troubles.” – Franklin
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