Parents – Grandparents! Are we meditating on the Proverbs?

One can hardly read anywhere in the volume of the Proverbs without noticing this is truly an intergenerational book.  No less than 27 times, the writer tenderly yet urgently says, “My son…” followed by some important instruction.

It made me wonder.  How many of us – we who are parents and grandparents – are reading and meditating on the Proverbs?  Why?  So that we can--from both exposure to and experience in these truths—meaningfully share with our sons and daughters about these priceless jewels of wisdom.

There are a few targeted questions which might stir us to important, timely action here.

First, What treasures are you investing in your heart, ready to be brought out and given?
 
“That’s an odd question,” you think.  Not really.  Jesus said, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45, ESV).

Is there an abundance in your heart of God’s wisdom sayings?  Are you reading and reflecting on them?  Choosing any to memorize, and then share with your children and grand-children?

Second, Are you thinking of creative ways to share from the abundance?  I get it.  It’s tough to sometimes initiate a conversation with your son or daughter, or grandchildren, about spiritual perspective.  It takes more than just lecturing them at the dinner table.  So it takes extra effort, a creative spark.

I’ve found some traction in writing to my grandkids “Papa letters.”  Yep…old school snail mail.  One of the ways I catalyze spiritual thinking is enclosing fun cartoons from the newspaper which make a spiritual point.  When the kids get the letter, they like the cartoons (I also include candy bars! 5020202020Recent