Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Wild at Heart


My son’s theology is problematic.  The term ‘wild at heart’ comes to mind.  How do I, as a father and grace believer, deal with this?

The word of God is the issue.  As we grow in the word, particularly the rightly-divided word (i.e., the Pauline Grace message), we as men and fathers begin to learn how God deals with us as sons and how he tells us to deal with our children.  Your son is a young man now at 13; he’s not fully mature and ready to be out on his own, but he’s getting there.  His testosterone is increasing, and his testing of you will continue as he gets stronger physically and emotionally and he will become more aggressive as he grows into a man.

But he also looks to you as his father and role model of all the things that he needs to know to be a real man in this world.  As you might know, I didn't have my father growing up and it has hindered me.  It has discouraged me, just as the scriptures say:

Ephesians 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The two most important things that your son needs are:

·   your physical and emotional presence; and
·   raising him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord

That is what you’re doing for your son – you’re there for him; but the most important thing is that you are raising him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Titus 2:1-2, 7-8
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:  That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.  In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,  Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.


Hopefully this helps...Maranatha!

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