What is the one thing your child needs? Wisdom doesn’t come natural. It’s not something you can give to your child on their tenth birthday and expect them to cherish it, treasure it, and keep it forever. It’s a day-by-day, moment-by-moment process. 

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.” Proverbs 1:5 (KJV)

The hard part is that children have to learn wisdom for themselves. Although I would love to impart every ounce of wisdom I contain into my children, wisdom in itself does not come from me.

Wisdom only comes from God. 

I can manipulate, coerce, and train my children certain nuances about wise decision making, but real wisdom will only be attained if my children believe God and His Word and grow in the knowledge and understanding of His power and presence. There is no substitute. Although I would like to think I have some control over it. 

We all know the stories of children who grew up in a great home and ended up making some unwise decisions. It’s hard to swallow the reality of such situations. For some reason we like to take the credit when they succeed, but as soon as they slip up we remind everyone that they have a free will. Let’s stop worrying about who gets credit for their success and failures, and let’s pray that God would form their heart and through it His Name would be glorified. 

Teaching Wise Decision Making

From the very first day we become a parent we begin to train our children how to make choices. We let them know when it’s time to eat, sleep, be held, be changed… Truly we all do the best we know how in spite of trial and error. 

As parents we strive to help them make wise decisions. We insist they sleep a little longer, or take the much needed afternoon nap. We make them eat their veggies, and give them water rather than soda. When we feel we know what’s best for them, we intercede and make adjustments to their desires by deciding for them or altering their original plans. It’s just a natural part of parenting.

Along the way we begin to let them choose for themselves, stay up a little longer, and learn from their wise choices or lack of. In the end we all have the same goal – to raise successful, honest, dependable adults who love God. It’s just hard when there are no guaranteed results. 

The One Thing Your Child Needs

So what can a parent do to make sure their child grows into a wise adult? 

Pray. Pray continuously. And then pray some more. 

Train them and pray. 

Teach them and pray. 

Talk to them and pray. 

Listen to them and pray. 

Love them and pray. 

Prayer is the one thing your child needs. If we do everything right and we don’t pray, we are missing the wisest thing we can do for our children. Only by God’s power will our children be transformed into wise adults. 

In the world of sin that bombards our eyes and minds everyday, it seems nearly impossible to succeed at this parenting thing, but God is teaching me that success is not about what will happen in the future someday, it’s about day by day obedience in this parenting journey. 

So for today, I won’t worry about my children ending up in a jail cell or on the street someday; but I will pour out my heart’s desire in prayer day by day, moment by moment. It’s not about success some day, it’s about success today. 

Success today looks like prayer. 

I don’t mold hearts, mend hearts, or make hearts into what they should be, I simply pray that hearts would be moldable, mendable, and makeable into something wisely beautiful today. 

Love & Blessings,