RAISING VIRTUOUS CHILDREN—THREE TRUTHS

Here are three truths of utmost importance to parents who want to raise virtuous sons and daughters:

ATMOSPHERE. Parents need to be very careful about the atmosphere their children are exposed to within and without church. Answer the question, “Does this atmosphere lend itself to, or militate against, the instilling of spirituality and virtue into the life of my child, or is this atmosphere more likely to promote a wrong and worldly spirit and lifestyle?”

Churches can be disarming and dangerous in terms of the subtle, and not so subtle, spirit of worldliness that now predominates in so many of them. The worldly atmosphere of a church can inoculate a young person against virtue as much, if not more, than any outside influence.

ASSOCIATIONS: Parents need to exercise a certain amount of control over their children's associations. Benjamin Franklin wrote: “He that lieth down with dogs, getteth up with fleas.” More importantly, God’s Word warns that “Evil companions corrupt good manners,” and that, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (1 Cor. 15:33; Prov. 13:20), Be careful about your children's associations in and out of church.

Proverbs 6:3 says “make sure thy friend.” Parents who aim to rear virtuous children need to be proactive in terms of making sure of their friends. They must teach them the meaning and value of friendship, and tthe importance of their being discriminant in their choice of associations. (I have a book consisting of quotations topically arranged and sprinkled with my own commentary entitled Speaking of Friendship," that is available at https://www.thatwemayknow.com/store). Parents could profit by reading and discussing portions of this with their children on a regular basis).

AUTHORITY FIGURES. Parents must be careful about the secular and spiritual authority figures their children are exposed to. The negative influence of an. authority figure will militate against the goal of parents to rear happy, responsible, respectable, respected and spiritually-minded children.

Raising virtuous children who become virtuous adults, requires parental determination, courage and a commitment to Truth as it is found in the Bible. The reward is “exceeding abundantly above” anything a parent could ask or think (Eph. 3:20). See Ps. 127, 128; 144:11, 12; Eph. 6:4.

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