Foolish Children… “To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool.” Proverbs 17:21
Foolish children flail around trying to find themselves. Typically they are terrible at managing money, because they have no concept of conservative spending and consistent saving. Then they look to mom and dad to bail them out. They desire a stimulus package from their parents, without structure or accountability. Childish children become masters of manipulation by subtly saying, “if you really loved me”, as guilt to get their way.
This grieves the hearts of their parents. Their father and mother want to do the right thing, but become conflicted on defining “what’s right”. The dad may be firm and the mom more merciful, so it’s imperative they are unified in their approach in how they love their rebellious child. They cannot allow Satan to drive a wedge of doubt between them; Jesus said, “… a household divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25).
Start with sincere and aggressive prayer for a loved one bound up in foolish behavior. Pray for the Lord to change you, and give you the grace and courage to offer an aggressive love based on the love of your Heavenly Father. You can love the unlovely as you ought, only after receiving His unconditional love. Remember the joy you had when they came into this world as God’s gift. So trust their Creator to bring them back to Christ. He can.
Lastly, confide in the Christian community about your sorrow and hurt. It may be a surprise how many have suffered a similar fate. Move beyond the mistakes of the past and focus on faith in the present. Turn your child over to the Lord’s love and discipline. Pray that your foolish child will fatigue from folly, and return to faith in God. Thus you pray, “Christ give me confidence to let them go and give them to you, and I hope one day for a celebration”, “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:24).
Related Readings: 2 Samuel 18:33; Proverbs 19:13-26; 2 Corinthians 2:3; 3 John 1:4
Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading?
How will I respond?
