In a recent interview, ex-New York Times journalist Bari Weiss stated that the world has gone mad – “Where can I start? … When you’re not able to say out loud and in public there are differences between men and women, the world has gone mad. … When in the name of progress, young school children, as young as kindergarten, are being separated in public schools because of their race, and that is called progress instead of segregation, the world has gone mad.”
These are just a couple of the dozen or so examples that Ms. Weiss cited but they are foundational issues the schools are trying to navigate through today. Parents are attending school Board meetings in record numbers because they are seeing cracks open up in the foundational understanding of gender, sexuality and race. The reality is that schools and school Boards cannot fracture a solid foundation. While it is critical to hold educators and elected officials accountable, parents must look in the mirror to evaluate the integrity of the foundation established for their children.
Train a child up in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not turn from it. – Proverbs 22:6. “Train” means there is some specific information or equipping that is to be passed on from one generation to the next. Reference to “child” says this is to be done under the tutelage of parents. And “in the way” is reference to God’s design for family. Parents are charged to read the Bible and lead children under His word. Gender is addressed in Genesis 1:27 – “… male and female He created them.” Marriage and sex are clarified in Genesis 2:24 – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one.” And the mandate to train is found in Malachi 2:15 – “Has not the Lord made them one? … And why one? Because He was seeking godly offspring.” By design, dad and mom, male and female, are uniquely gifted in a marriage relationship to procreate. In that giftedness is responsibility to raise a godly generation, “to train a child up in the way he should go.” The “way” is the day-to-day example of how the marriage relationship reflects the faith and values of the family. When the foundation is solid, schools can focus on teaching the 3R’s. When the foundation is fractured, culture has free reign and the schools can lose focus.
The first ten years or so of a child’s life make up what I call the ‘teacher’ season of fathering. Dads and moms have a tremendous responsibility to raise a child on a foundation that is Rock solid and will provide the grounding needed to navigate through the teen years. These early years get by quickly, particularly in a young family where both parents work outside the home. Intentional discussions around how a couple is to establish the foundation needed for their children should be prayed through early in the marriage and mature into a bona fide gameplan.
Prayer guide: Lord, I thank You for Your Word and for being my Rock. I confess I was ‘busy’ as I tried to establish myself in industry early in our marriage. In the blink of an eye, our daughter was ready to start middle school. I missed a good bit of the ‘teacher’ season with her! By Your grace, my bride was absolutely engaged and helped me plug in to firm up her foundation in family values and faith. Grant me time and clarity to establish the Rock solid foundation our kids need in this world. That is the dad You call me to be and that’s the dad the next generation needs. Amen.
A faithful father establishes the Rock solid foundation kids need in this world.
In a recent interview, ex-New York Times journalist Bari Weiss stated that the world has gone mad – “Where can I start? … When you’re not able to say out loud and in public there are differences between men and women, the world has gone mad. … When in the name of progress, young school children, as young as kindergarten, are being separated in public schools because of their race, and that is called progress instead of segregation, the world has gone mad.”
