Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. – Proverbs 22:6

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 15, 2013): Proverbs 22

There is an episode of “The Big Bang Theory” where Leonard and Leslie Winkle are trying to decide whether or not their relationship has any chance at success. She is concerned about any genetic traits that he might pass on to their children (which best friend Sheldon lists as lactose intolerance, male pattern baldness and a lack of height.) But none of this is what eventually breaks the potential couple up. The relationship ends when Leonard vocalizes that he prefers physics string theory (Sheldon’s preference) as the origin of all things over loop quantum gravity (Leslie’s preference.) Leslie’s concern is “what will we tell the children?” Leonard’s reply is “that when they are old enough they can choose their own theory” to which Leslie replies “we can’t let them choose Leonard, their children.”

As humorous as the scene is, the whole exchange is actually patterned over the argument of what spiritual training we should give to our children. From one side (in the fictitious “Big Bang Theory” it is Leonard’s view) religious education is unnecessary. We should not lead our children into faith. When they are old enough, then they can simply choose. Leslie’s position is that there are some decisions that are too important to leave to choice. We have the obligation to train them in the important things in life.

The Bible leans heavily into the Leslie Winkle position (although possibly not in the case of which untestable physics hypothesis is really the best.) But there are some things too important to not give guidance to our children. Faith is one, but definitely not the only issue. There has been over the last couple decades a theory in North America that we should allow our children to just study the educational things that are fun for them. The result is that we are increasingly dropping in universal testing scores and our children do not have the knowledge that they need to live. But it is not just in the area of knowledge that we are experiencing a problem; they are also lacking the discipline necessary for healthy life – discipline that is learned best through our childhood. And it is not their fault. The blame is fully ours.

Reality is that we are going face obstacles in life. Some of us will simply fold under the adverse circumstances of life. Others (hopefully most of us) will use faith and the life disciplines that we learned early in life to turn obstacles into success. But if that is to be true, the things we were taught and the habits we learned in our childhood will be an great asset throughout the length of our lives.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 23