He Started It

Proverbs 19:26 (KJV) He that wasteth his father, [and] chaseth away his  mother, is  a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.

It used to be that the trip home from church was the invitation for war in the backseat.  It was always the other person’s fault.  It seems like the kids always felt like there would be nothing that we as adults could do about what they were doing.  One of the great things about getting older and spending time with your kids is they tell you about things you did as a parent that you don’t remember.

Evidently, there was one day when our kids were acting up in the backseat.  Repeated warnings fell on deaf ears.  The kids felt like since we were on the road there was nothing that could really be done.  Evidently I stopped the car in the middle of the road , got out, opened the back door and got serious about discipline.  I didn’t pull off in a parking lot.  There was no place to pull off.  I dealt with it right there in the middle of the street.  My kids still remember that.

When I look at this verse, I wonder if this is about a family where the father never pulled the car over and got out to deal with a problem.  I wonder if it’s the result of a lack of discipline.  Keep in mind that a lack of discipline is a two-way street.  If the parent doesn’t offer it the child doesn’t receive it, the result is disaster.

So?  Whether you are a parent or a grandparent, you still are molding the younger generation.  I will admit that original sin is real.  I understand that people make choices on their own.  We as responsible adults need to help them make those decisions and learn the consequences.