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It seems early in the year, but schools are starting up again. Parents will be making their children get out of bed. They will make them eat breakfast and brush their teeth. Moms and dads will stand over their kids watching them complete their homework (which they may not even have in our day of permissiveness). They will drive them to ball practice and other extracurricular events. They will make them go to school even when they whine and even if they have a slight headache…and they should.

Parents should make their children go to school, because it is for their good. Fathers and mothers do not think that such encouragement will make their youth resent the education they receive. Learning and discipline are valuable. The parents know it, and the children will too when they mature. Before that time comes, however, parents will not leave it to immature children to decide for themselves whether or not to bathe, brush their teeth, eat their vegetables, or go to school and study math. They realize that in youth one is not mature enough to make the best decisions on some important matters.

What parents often fail to realize, however, is the importance of spiritual training and their role in it. By inspiration Solomon wrote, “Train up (i.e., begin or initiate) a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). A word for “should” was not found in the Hebrew text of Proverbs. Actually, this well-known verse says, “Initiate a child according to his/her general tendencies and, when he/she has reached old age, he/she will not abandon what has become second nature to him/her.” As God’s word is perfectly harmonious, this passage is in full accord with the inspired teachings of Ephesians and Colossians where Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Colossians 3:21 adds, “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” As a new parent, sir, two things must be noticed from these two instructional verses: 1) Dad, it is your responsibility, and 2) It is according to the Lord’s teaching that your child must be reared.

I love Ava. Though she is just one month old, she is precious to me. She is my granddaughter, but she is your daughter. She is your responsibility, not mine. You are her father, not I. The God-given responsibility of nurturing her in body and soul is yours, neither your mother’s nor mine. I will always love her, and I will shower her with many gifts of many different kinds for the rest of her life. I will tell her and show her how much I love her, just as I have always done for you, but she is your daughter. Bring her up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, and begin now before she interest in other things come to rob her soul of a love for the Lord.

Judith Martin, under the appellation of “Miss Manners,” was recently reported in The Birmingham News to say, “Parents will do anything for their children. Anything,…short of actual child-rearing” (Sunday, July 10, 2005). Martin said further, “It’s not that parents don’t realize that their children need to learn manners, morals, and how to refrain from repulsing those in position to give them degrees, riches and happiness. They simply do not see teaching these as being their job.” Son, know better; it is your job. This is not the work of the church, and, certainly, we do not want Ava to be nurtured by public school teachers who do not know God nor by politicians who can’t seem to do anything more than get reelected.

Drew, the evidence is in. You will be a great father.