Recently I visited downtown Chicago. Being from a
tiny farming community I was a classic tourist; neck craned back in awe of the
towering skyscrapers bursting from the city street around me.
Skyscrapers require a firm
foundation, don’t they? If the base of the building isn’t solid, either the structure
will never reach full potential, or it will crumble when stressed beyond it’s
foundational capacity. The first outcome is disappointing, the second is
destructive. When buildings collapse, people get hurt.
The life of a student is
similar. Their future needs to be built on the firm foundation of the word. As
parents we have a God-given responsibility to give our students the spiritual
and moral bricks to assemble a solid base for their lives. This may seem to be
an overwhelming task, but that’s where the Word of God and the leading of the
Holy Spirit become so vital in the parenting process.
The most imperative
foundational work in your student’s life actually begins in your own. Godly
parenting begins with a hunger for the Word and spiritual growth in your life.
You will never be equipped to shepherd your student’s heart if you haven’t
allowed the Shepherd to direct yours. If you aren’t spending time in the Word
and before the Lord daily, you are not adequately qualified to parent your
student.
Proverbs is a great source
of godly parenting advice. This Old Testament wisdom book leads us on the
journey of a young man as he prepares to enter the world up through the time that
he finds safety in his own home with a godly and virtuous wife. Proverbs tackles
two primary concerns for teenagers; the wrong crowd and sexual sin. It’s
amazing how a book written about 3000 years ago can be so relevant in modern
time, isn’t it? Proverbs teaches us that wisdom begins in the home and as a
young person grows, it continues in the marketplace and the even the courtroom.
If we lay a firm, biblical
foundation in the lives of our students, we will see them grow to be strong
towers of God’s love and faithfulness. In the decades to come today’s students
can become the much-needed spiritual infrastructure that our country is currently
lacking. Our hope as youth pastors and parents is to see the horizon line of
our future take a new shape. With proper foundations laid, skyscrapers of faith
will rise as strong examples of life and godliness to all who see them. I
encourage you to lay the bricks in their lives carefully; we are engaged in
tedious yet crucial work. Proverbs 22:6
