I will open my mouth in a proverb. I will pour forth riddles of old that we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, recounting them to the generation to come the songs of praise about Yahweh, even his strength and his wondrous works that he has done.
There’s a priority shift that comes with having kids.
People always warned me this would be the case; I was expecting it, at least to some extent. But it’s hard to fathom the sheer extent of it until your baby is in your arms; until you watch him or her grow and you catch tiny glimpses of the future in every new smile, every attempted word, with the budding of new teeth and the flashes of temperament and personality emerging through. And I’m not just talking about the work/life priority balance, or the balance of figuring out school, or any of that.
With my son, my biggest priority has become ensuring that he grows up to be a man of God.
There’s a long story behind this, involving a number of things from long before his conception; but I have always felt this child’s life is to be dedicated to God. And that couldn’t feel like a bigger responsibility! In a world that will do its best to poach him from the path of his Creator into one of self-service and self-concern, instilling godly values in him is vital. In fact, it’s overwhelming at times! What curriculum, what coursework, what parenting style is going to ensure he knows and follows his Maker? God, help us raise these babies right! How do we even know where to start?
Then I look at the heart behind the opening of psalms like Psalm 78, and I feel peace wash over my spirit. I love Asaph’s words here; proverbs and riddles and songs pouring forth of God’s praise. Not withheld from future generations, these stories and recountings wash forward into the lives to come, bringing both warning and wonder. This psalmist does not hold back; clearly, he lays out the history of his people and how they interact with God.
But what a powerful example that becomes. He doesn’t package the truth in an extravagant way with bells and whistles to make it more attractive. He doesn’t water it down or puff it up. He simply tells it as it is—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Maybe that can be a lesson to us all. Fancified Gospel can be attractive to many, but when the grit of life in service to God comes through, what are people left to hold onto? Perhaps as a mother, my focus shouldn’t be on curriculum or coursework to make Scripture seem appealing, but on honesty—teaching my son honestly that there is nothing more difficult OR more rewarding than the life spent serving God.
I will tell this boy the truth of God…His strength and His wondrous works that He has done. I will guide him on a path that doesn’t water down or conflate what it means to walk with Yahweh. And I trust that God will be there every step, giving me the words to train my son in the way he should go, all the days of his life.
