The Hope Of A Healthy Child Series

OPEN: In the 1700s, there was a poet named Samuel Coleridge was talking with a friend who’d come to visit one day. During the conversation they got around to the subject of children. The visitor said “I believe children should be given the freedom to make all their own decisions. Parents should not decide what their offspring should think or do. This will help their children to learn how to grow up to their full potential.” The poet smiled and said: That’s interesting.” (and then he paused). “Say, while you’re here, why don’t you come outside and see my flower garden.” So, they got up and went outside, and when they reached the garden plot, the visitor was shocked. “This isn’t a flower garden! There’s nothing here but weeds!” The poet said. “Yes. It used to be filled with roses, but this year I decided to just let the garden grow as it wished. I didn’t think it needed to be weeded or cared for. And this is the result.”

APPLY: What that poet was saying was this: Parents; Grandparents; and Uncles & Aunts need to help shape the minds of children. Left to their own “devices”, children tend to grow up wild and untamed. And instead of growing to the full potential, they often grow up wounded and broken adults.

That’s what today’s text is telling us. In Proverbs 3:1-2 a father is telling his son: “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.”

Notice, this father was telling his son that – if the boy kept his father’s commandments - he’d have years of life and peace ahead of him. Now… that sounds somewhat familiar. Where do you suppose Solomon get that idea from? Well, he got it from the 10 commandments.

The FIFTH of those 10 commandments said this: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12) And Ephesians tells us this commandment was the ONLY one with a promise: honor your parents – your days will be long.

But notice here - Solomon added a little bit to that commandment. He said: If you keep MY commandments you’ll have a long and peaceful life. But that’s not what the 5th commandment said. The 5th commandment did NOT say that God necessarily required us to do everything our parents command of us. It simply said honor them… why??? Because sometimes fathers/mothers have some really bad ideas. They behave badly; they talk badly; they do some bad stuff.

Ephesians 6:1 explains “Children, obey your parents IN THE LORD, for this is right.” In other words a child must OBEY his parents… but, if a parent commanded his child do something morally wrong those things don’t fall under HONORING a parent.

But, here we have Solomon telling his son to keep HIS commandments. And if the boy did that he’d live a long, successful and peaceful life. How could Solomon say that?

Well, all of Solomon commandments in Proverbs point to God And the core of everything he wrote in proverbs was this: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8

In other words: Obey my commandments because they are “in the Lord.” My commands (he’s saying) are focusing ON the Lord. They are intended to help you TRUST the Lord; ACKNOWLEDGE the Lord; FEAR the Lord.

Solomon was actually trying to honor what God commanded in Deuteronomy 6:6-12 - “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 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.”

Now, what does that mean? It means that God’s commandments should be so much a part of your life that your kids/ grandkids/ nephews & nieces… even the kids on your block can’t even look at you without seeing God’s presence. When you walk and when you talk; when you lie down and when get up. They should see it in your hands, in your eyes and all over your house.