My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Proverbs 1:8
When I was growing up, I was like most kids when it came to eating dessert. If I would have ever been given the choice between eating real food or eating dessert, I would easily have chosen dessert every time. Tasting the sweetness of cheesecake or a chocolate éclair as it slides over your tongue and down your throat is something that just cannot be experienced by eating broccoli or carrots. For me, fish or scalloped potatoes should not even be allowed in the same sentence as warm fudge brownies with ice cream. (Wait, I think I just broke my own rule – oh well, you get the point.) I think even kids must admit, however, that their parents must step in and make them eat real food. Dessert, though it tastes wonderful, is not as healthy as eating meat and vegetables. An early death is the only thing on the menu for someone who spends their life eating only dessert.
Why is it then, that young people get so upset when their parents try to set rules that will help keep them healthy in other areas as well? If young men are given a choice between listening to rock music or good Christian hymns, many will choose the music of the world. If given a choice between hanging out with friends who emulate the world or those who have chosen to follow God, most would decide it was more “cool” to hang out with the worldly crowd. That doesn’t necessarily make him a bad person, but it does show the natural tendency of a young man to do what is easier and what is more pleasing to his flesh rather than choosing the more difficult but healthier path. That is one of the reasons God gave you parents – to step in and set the boundaries that help you make the healthy spiritual choices.
Now that I am an adult, I can eat anything I want to eat, but my parents taught me well when I was growing up. Though I still enjoy a sugar-laden dessert, I try to make healthy choices for myself and eat right. In much the same way, the spiritual rules and boundaries once placed on me by my parents have helped me to now make the spiritually healthy choices on my own, as well. Just as I am tempted to eat dessert first, I am still tempted to sin, to follow the world, and to try to “fit in.” Knowing what I now know about keeping a healthy spiritual relationship with God, however, I am thankful for the rules my parents did set up to help me learn what is best for me. As you keep the right attitude and submit to your parents, you, too, will one day reach the same conclusion.
Read also: Proverbs 1:5-16
Quote of the day: “If a man could have half his wishes, he would double his troubles.” – Benjamin Franklin
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