Parenting

Jun

Recently we saw many debates in the media on parenting*. People argue over the best way of bringing up children. The whole debate sprang up from an autobiography excerpt, in which the author defended her tough way of training up children. This is forever a hot topic. The latest media mania got much help from the presumptuous language used in the article, its culturally provoking title, and the fact that it published on Wall Street Journal.

There is not much parenting tips offered in the Bible. Yet you can argue that the entire Bible is about training up children of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). If you read the Bible as a training manual from God the Father, what is the message to take home for the children of man (Romans 10:21)?

A few years ago, Malcolm Gladwell wrote a bestseller called Outliers. Throughout the book, he repeatedly mention “10,000 hour rule”, claiming the key to success in any field is a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours. He backed his case with famous examples like Bill Gates. This is not an entirely new idea, but Malcolm helped popularize and quantify it. Speaking in this paradigm, parenting task for many people means how to help their children amass 10,000 hour of practice on certain skills, such as piano or math.

This could be easy for some kids, but rather hard for disobedient ones, especially there is a time constraint: You need to get it done before they leave for college.

Apparently this is not what God cares about His children. In fact, God foresaw our failure he cut short everyone’s practicing time (Genesis 6:3). It turns out practice not only can makes things better, it can also makes things worse. What are those things that cause human race being pulled out of practice by God (Genesis 6:5)?

If eternity means infinity, I guess it is understandable for God to stop anything that grows worse in time. It is also understandable that you don’t have to worry much about lack of practice on things that grow better in time. I think everyone who makes it to the heaven will be perfect in every musical instrument and in fact in all knowledge (2 Corinthian 13:12).

What shall we do then? Stop practicing piano? Or weed out the garden before watering it?

2 Timothy 3:16,17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
Romans 10:21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Genesis 6:3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
2 Corinthian 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

*http://online.wsj.com/article/SB ... 59713528698754.html