Proverbs and Parenting
April 17th, 2008
The book of Proverbs is a wonderful, intensely practical guide that contains much wisdom you can impart to your children as you train them in godly living. For your benefit, we’ve compiled ten lessons from Proverbs you should teach to your children. We’re convinced that, in the process of teaching those ten lessons, you’ll unearth many more principles from Proverbs that will serve your children well their entire lives.
Teach your children:
1. To have a healthy fear of God (1:7; 9:10; 10:27; 14:26-27; 15:16; 16:6; 19:23)
2. To guard their minds (4:23; 23:7)
3. To obey you (1:8; 4:1-4; 6:20-23; 30:17)
4. To carefully select their companions (1:11-18; 2:10-15; 13:20)
5. To control their sinful desires (2:16-19; 5:3-5; 6:23-33; 7:6-27)
6. To enjoy sexual fidelity (5:15-20)
7. To watch their words (4:24; 10:11, 19-21, 32; 12:18, 22; 15:1-2; 16:23; 20:15)
8. To pursue their work (6:6-11; 10:4-5; 22:29)
9. To manage their money (3:9-10; 11:24-26; 19:17; 22:9)
10. To love their neighbors (3:27-29; 25:21-22)
Lessons that we all could stand to apply more with each passing day, yes?
Thanks for the list, I know it’ll be helpful for me; both as an individual, as well as a mother teaching her children!
Thanks!
I remember weeping in desperation in prayer, asking God to give me some kind of help in raising the children He entrusted to me. I was feeling like a failure as a steward of those precious lives with which He had blessed me. As I asked God for wisdom, it dawned on me that the best collection of wise advice is collected in Proverbs. Shortly after that, it dawned on me that there is a chapter for every day of the month. I found practical application immediately. When I began reading and discussing them with my children, I found all sorts of opportunity for teaching, and new vantage points for my own learning. The Proverbs are helpful, but even more when shared!
Thanks for your article!