Wednesday; August 20

This is the time of year when our young people’s attention begins to turn toward school.  Like it or not, as the calendar moves from August to September, a return to school is inevitable.  I remember disliking this time of year as a child, but I also realized that it was something I needed to do if I wanted to get ahead in life.  That didn’t make it easier, but it did make it tolerable.

Now, that’s the dilemma from a child’s perspective, but parents have to make adjustments as well.  For some, they are ready for their children to go back to school, while others wish summer could last longer.  For most of us parents, we are willing to turn our children over to others to teach the principles of reading, writing and ‘rithmatic; but one way we have to stay involved in our children’s lives is when it comes to moral and spiritual principles.  We may not have the ability to teach chemistry or trigonometry, but we must be willing to be experts in matters of morality and spirituality.  Our children’s teachers should have an impact through the lessons that might land them a college scholarship or a professional position, but we are the ones who prepare them for eternal life. 

A wise man once noted, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6).  Let’s be willing to find help in educating our youngsters, but let’s never abdicate our responsibility to shape them into the people they should be.

Think About It!