Being a Wise Family

(Proverbs 1:8-19)

Foundations (Prov. 1:7)

• The fear of the LORD as foundational

• Process – building on the foundation

Knowledge Wisdom

Discipline

• Fools (morally deficient) despise wisdom and discipline

Facets of a Wise Family

• Parents are central to the business of shaping the character of the next generation (v8-9)

– Father’s instruction

–Mother’s teaching

• Father’s instruction (discipline or training)

–Call to “pay attention to”

–Consistent with Eph. 6:4 – “… bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord”

• Fathers are called to a primary role in the “process” of transforming content into character

• Mother’s teaching (root word “torah”)

–Called to “point to”

–Picture women who point their children to the “torah” (Eg. 2 Tim. 1:5)

• Women are called to a primary role in nurturing a core value for the Word of God

Facets of a Wise Family

• Parents are central to the business of shaping the character of the next generation (v8-9)

–Result: Favour, inner beauty (v9)

• Role of Parents – By Design or Assignment?

Facets of a Wise Family

• Children are wise when they are not engaged in social ills (v10-19)

–Recognize the need to be wise in the midst of foolishness (v8, 10; Prov. 22:15)

–Bad company corrupts good character (v15; 1 Cor. 15:33)

– Foolishness will help you dig your own grave (v18-19; Gal. 6:7-8)

USA Today

• 24 million children live without their biological fathers

• 2 million single fathers with children under the age of 18

• 26% of absent fathers live in a different state than their children

• 40% of children living in fatherless households haven’t seen their fathers in a year.

• Children who live without biological fathers are, on average, more likely to be poor; more likely to experience health, educational, emotional and psychological problems, more likely to be victims of child abuse; more likely to engage in criminal behavior as compared with their peers who live with their biological mother and father.

• Children whose fathers spend the most time with them and monitor their school progress are least likely to have behavior problems. Psychological research finds that children who grow up to exhibit the highest levels of moral virtue, as well as healthy spirituality learned to do so at their father’s knee.

Fathers …

Foster Parenting a Wise Family

• Come alongside children. Be a spiritual parent. John Wesley says at every baptism it would be good if there are 3 godparents for the child. Two of the same gender as the child. In case the parents fail in their duties or are unable to carry it out, the godparents can still have spiritual input in the child.

Reflection/Discussion

• What kind of a family will you build? Describe your portrait of what a wise family would look like.

• To what extent are you prepared to invest your time, talent, and treasure to build a wise family? Give specific and concrete possible application steps.