Proverbs 23:24-25

"The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will delight in him. Let your mother and your father be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice." (Proverbs 23:24-25 NKJV)

Though I'm not yet a father, this verse brings me great joy when I reflect on it. I have a vision of a mom and dad (maybe my wife and I), beaming with pride and gratitude, not for a child who was necessarily the brightest academically, or who excelled on the athletic field or even who was a boy scout or girl scout. No. These smiles are the result of having a son or daughter who walks in integrity, choosing to live by God's standards rather than the world's. A child who becomes an example for Christ, rather than caving into peer pressure which would pull him or her in the opposite direction. This is a child who has gained wisdom and exercises it, loving the Lord first and then his neighbour as himself.

Does all of this sound more than a little idealistic rather than realistic? I think in many ways we've given up on raising children who are righteous and wise, believing it's not really possible anyway. We're inclined to believe that it's ridiculous to think kids won't experiment with drinking and drugs and premarital sex, therefore we concede in these area. We seem to be content with raising a child who got decent grades, earned at least a bachelor's degree, didn't get in too much trouble and is now gainfully employed and making a good salary. Perhaps he's even met a nice young lady and they've married and are now raising children of their own. Sounds sort of like the American dream, doesn't it?

The thing is, it's really all built on a weak foundation if it is not built on Yeshua. It's the proverbial house of cards. And even if it should last, it's only success by the world's standards. Let me just say this: even if your child has already gone off track in some areas, it's never too late to live righteously. It's never to late to aquire and apply the wisdom of the Father. And, obviously, the methods of parenting have everything to do with achieving such results. It must come from parents who lead by example, stay in the word, and pray. It comes from parents who are proactive in addressing the needs and concerns of their child, rather than trying to clean up messes afterward. By the way, I do understand that doing the right things as a parent does not always mean the child will follow suit, but it sure does greatly increase the percentages.

Lastly, I think there's another element to this. When we follow His commands and do what pleases Him, our heavenly Father rejoices too!