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Wisdom Will Protect

In these times it seems science trumps spirituality, philosophy over piety, and glamour glitters more than goodness. While that is true, it isn’t new to our time. There have always been these sentiments from one generation to the next. There may have been golden eras when things were better than they are now, but Adam and Eve enjoyed the only truly perfect age. So today things aren’t great. They don’t look like they are going to get any better. How do we prepare the generations to come for the unforeseen horrors that lay before them? What new moral, social and philosophical advances will our children need to be prepared for? The answer is we don’t know. However, we can take comfort in these words, “there is nothing new under the sun,” “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness,” “I [Jesus] have overcome the world” (Eccl. 1:9, 2 Pet. 1:3; John 16:33). How do we prepare the generations to come for the unforeseen horrors that lay before them?

We must keep them grounded in God’s wisdom in order to prepare them for what they will encounter. There is a section of scripture that highlights this truth. It begins with, “Discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you” (Prov. 2:11). If we are teaching our children God’s wisdom, then it serves to protect them from so many of the evils that are common to men. “To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness” (Prov. 2:12-13). We don’t need to know every evil that we will encounter in order to be ready for spiritual warfare. We only need to fill ourselves with the word of God, and we will be able to stand against the foe.

This section of proverbs ends with, “So you will walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it” (Prov. 2:20-21). Not only is there a need for us to know the scriptures, but we must walk with others that keep them as well. We must teach our children the importance of their spiritual community—to prefer those of like precious faith. There is strength in numbers. “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor” (Rom. 12:9-10).

The two things that we must instill in our children are God’s wisdom and community with the saints. If they know righteousness but try to live with darkness their souls will be vexed.  Ask Lot (2 Pet. 2:8). God’s word and the church must be two pillars in our families. With these they will be ready.