The fear (or reverence) of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
There were always two things Sarah and I concerned ourselves with in the raising of our three daughters. As we practiced the training disciplines in their lives, we cared both about right action and right attitude. If we got the right action out of them, but they had a rotten attitude, if not dealt with quickly, seriously and decisively, we knew they had still won with their unsurrendered spirit. The inner man is the rudder that finally determines the direction of the boat. I felt this so keenly that, if some form of discipline was needed and given for wrong actions, usually ending it by sitting them on their bed to think about it, I would keep the door slightly ajar to watch their attitude. If I saw a bad attitude, I was immediately back in the room to deal with this problem that went far deeper than wrong actions. We knew that if we didn't win here, that attitude would carry over into other areas of life, and especially in their relationship with God. They learned early on to regard us, to respect us and to respond to us, and that same spirit is evident in their walk with the Lord. They are way up the road because they, early on, surrendered their will to Him in a deep reverence. They serve Him both with their attitude and their actions. I see them as young women with great wisdom, not because their parents gave this to them, but because they haven't stumbled all over God trying to get to wisdom their own way. Wisdom is never found by having our own way. It's found only in humbly, reverently and decisively letting God be God. This is the beginning of wisdom. Follow it's course and it will fill your life with sense and sensitivity (I meant this play on words), making you a giant in a world stunted by a spirit that got its own way.
There were always two things Sarah and I concerned ourselves with in the raising of our three daughters. As we practiced the training disciplines in their lives, we cared both about right action and right attitude. If we got the right action out of them, but they had a rotten attitude, if not dealt with quickly, seriously and decisively, we knew they had still won with their unsurrendered spirit. The inner man is the rudder that finally determines the direction of the boat. I felt this so keenly that, if some form of discipline was needed and given for wrong actions, usually ending it by sitting them on their bed to think about it, I would keep the door slightly ajar to watch their attitude. If I saw a bad attitude, I was immediately back in the room to deal with this problem that went far deeper than wrong actions. We knew that if we didn't win here, that attitude would carry over into other areas of life, and especially in their relationship with God. They learned early on to regard us, to respect us and to respond to us, and that same spirit is evident in their walk with the Lord. They are way up the road because they, early on, surrendered their will to Him in a deep reverence. They serve Him both with their attitude and their actions. I see them as young women with great wisdom, not because their parents gave this to them, but because they haven't stumbled all over God trying to get to wisdom their own way. Wisdom is never found by having our own way. It's found only in humbly, reverently and decisively letting God be God. This is the beginning of wisdom. Follow it's course and it will fill your life with sense and sensitivity (I meant this play on words), making you a giant in a world stunted by a spirit that got its own way.
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