50 Days of Wisdom
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Wisdom is a skill in living that begins with fearing God, then progresses to guarding your mind, choosing your companions, controlling your body, monitoring your words, pursuing your work, managing your money, and loving your neighbor. Very simple. But that’s it. And when you’ve done that, you’ve learned wisdom. It’s vital to be taught wisdom. For example, as a father, if I fail to teach my son to fear God, the devil will teach him to hate God. If I fail to teach my son to guard his mind, the devil will teach him to have an open mind. If I fail to teach my son to obey his parents, the devil will teach him to rebel and break his parents’ hearts. If I fail to teach my son to select his companions carefully, the devil will choose them for him. If I fail to teach my son to control his body, the devil will gladly teach him to give it completely over to his lusts. If I fail to teach my children to enjoy speech that is honorable to God, the devil will fill their mouths with filth. If I fail to teach my children to pursue their work, the devil will make them lazy. If I fail to teach them to manage their money, the devil will teach them to waste it on riotous living. If I fail to teach them to love their neighbor, the devil will gladly teach them to love only themselves.
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Investing in Our Children
The first part of Ephesians 6:4 says, “Do not provoke your children to anger.” That means don’t do what angers your children, what exasperates them, what frustrates them, what embitters them, or what disheartens them. So, that’s the negative side of parenting: don’t crush their little spirit. The rest of verse 4, however, is the positive side: “but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” You must bring them up because they won’t get there on their own. Why does the Bible focus so much on raising children? Because remember, the Bible is the instruction manual for the people that God created. When God created man, He also graciously provided a manufacturer manual for His creation. Therefore, His Word is our textbook, and the world is our classroom. Providentially, the Bible gives man everything he needs to function according to His design. Everything! But without it, man is broken and lost. Therefore, Deuteronomy 6:4 to 12 tells us how to bring up children. We should teach them to recognize God as supreme, love God, obey His Word, teach by example, use life as a classroom, leave reminders of the divine priorities around, and warn them about the world and its evil. That’s how we are to bring them up. We are also instructed to “bring them up in discipline,” which is a word used for training, instructing, and teaching children. What is discipline? Discipline involves training through rules and regulations, which are enforced through rewards and punishments. You establish rules, and you hold them to the rules; you reward them when they obey them, and you punish them when they don’t. That’s discipline. The next key word in verse 4 is “instruction.” This is verbal instruction; this is what you specifically say to the child that comes from the Lord. Simply put, you are teaching them the Word of God and what God wants them to know. And you begin by acknowledging that they are unregenerate. Now, please understand that there’s a strange minority doctrine in Reformed theology called presumptive regeneration, which says that if a child has been baptized as an infant, you can presume they’re regenerate. That’s a foolish concept. Presuming a child is regenerate contradicts the teachings of Scripture, which states that all children are born sinners and require discipline and instruction to drive out their sin. Children are in desperate need of salvation, and then after salvation, sanctification. Therefore, the instruction primarily focuses on salvation and subsequently sanctification. If we faithfully adhere to these instructions, we have fully invested in our children. This is how Spirit-filled parents raise their children. And this is a goal we should all strive for. Repent and believe! GTY.org (80-385) - Parents, Do Not Provoke Your Children – 80-385
Today's Wisdom
November 28, 2025
Day: 805
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My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, “I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. You can take part in the advancement of His kingdom by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.
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