Reflection on Parenting

Good Morning,
This week's theme is simply "Reflection". Please take a few minutes to consider two things this week. First, what is parenting to you (if you are a parent or hope to be one)? Think along these lines: Why do you do what you do? What exactly do you do? What are your parenting goals? And one more challenging question: Have you fallen prey to culture's deceit that the "experts" know how to raise your children better than you do?

Second, what does today's average parent think of parenting? Is it a chore? Is it best done by delegating parenting tasks to select "experts"? Is it a priority or a nuisance?

What am I getting at? Our culture seems to have swallowed the deception hook, line, and sinker. A high percentage of parents seem to believe that they are either incapable of directing their child's upbringing or they don't seem to understand that they even have a responsibility to direct the child's upbringing in the first place. "Experts", some well meaning and others ill-intentioned, have convinced many in society that parents aren't smart enough to raise their own children. Parents are told that they must always follow the latest "expert" advice. As parents, we all need wisdom from others at times or a helping hand, but when have we crossed the line and expected various "experts" to do our job for us.

In contrast, the Bible has delegated this responsibility to parents (see Ephesians 6:3 and other scripture) not to "experts" and policy makers. We must help parents see this responsibility before they will be concerned with defending their "parental rights".

Please reflect on your own perspective on parenting and consider the trends in our culture. The biggest hurdle may not be the passage of an amendment, but the apathy of our nation's parents.