Disciple (Daily Encouragement)
To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice and equity….let the wise hear and increase in learning – Proverbs 1:2-5
The book of Proverbs is written from a father to a son for the purpose of teaching him (and us) “develop a set of practical skills for living well in God’s world”. There is a call for parents give instruction and “train up” – to accustom and motivate children to live “true life” by following Jesus. I love in Luke 2:52 where is says of a younger Jesus that “he increased in wisdom and in stature, in favor with God and man.”
There is a concept we use for various areas of life called “reverse engineering”. The basic idea is to look at what you want to accomplish, and “reverse engineer” or lay out the steps for going about accomplishing it. This can be done with parenting. In his guide to raising sons (this concept works for daughters too), Pastor Jon Tyson gives a great picture of imagining the day your child leaves your house and what you hope they will be:
Imagine the day that your son (or daughter) is going to leave the house. Try and put yourself fully into that moment. See the people around him, his height and stature, his clothes and possessions packed into suitcases, ready to walk out the door. Now imagine him asking to speak to you for a minute to thank you. In that speech he thanks you for …
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From that place of preparation and awareness, begin to think through the following categories:
What do you want him to know? A LIFE OF WISDOM.
Who do you want him to be? A MAN OF CHARACTER.
What do you want him to be able to do? A SKILLFUL MAN.
What experiences can you create that will shape these things? LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCES.
The call of a parent is to dedicate yourself to help your child live a life of wisdom. Be a person of character. To have skill to flourish in this world.
The primary avenue for this to happen is to teach them to follow Jesus – what an awesome and joyful gift!