day no. 16,705: the imports and exports of parenting

Ephesians 6:4

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Parenting involves nurture and admonition, discipline and instruction, imports and exports. Fathers are called to discipline certain things out of their children: sin, foolishness, selfishness to name a few. They are also called to sow certain things into their children: wisdom, righteousness, the Word of God, etc... We discipline things out and instruct things in. Godly parenting cannot exclude one or the other. Both are required if we are to raise our children in the Lord.

Proverbs 22:15

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child;

but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Foolishness is hardwired inside your child. If you do not discipline it out of him, it won't go anywhere. In fact, it will set up a successful shop and even seek to begin franchising. Discipline stops foolishness from flourishing. It weeds the garden of your son's soul.

Proverbs 22:6-8

Train up a child in the way he should go:

and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The way a child should go is not known to them. You must train them in it. You must introduce them to the way of the Lord. You must not only show them everything which He has commanded them, but show them how to obey everything He has commanded. You fulfill the great commission in teaching your sons the obedience of faith (Matt 28:20, Rom. 1:5, 16:26)

Education is a leading out of, literally ex (out of) + ducare (to lead). A Christian education is leading a child out of his wickedness. It is teaching him how to say, "No," to himself and how to say, "Yes," to Christ. Our children need to know what's wicked within them and provided with help to distance themselves from it. They also need to know what's wonderful without and be introduced to it so that they might close the distance.

Change must come from the outside. A heart left to itself will rot. But the force of sin can be disciplined out and the way of faith can be instructed therein. In similar fashion, Christ is at first without; but by grace, He comes and visits within. He condescends to visit the Bethlehems of our hearts and to take residence there on the outskirts. By His Spirit, God uses parenting to pull out the wanton and to put in wisdom.