Proverbs 4:11
"I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths."
There are, in this verse, two keys to effective teaching and parenting. First, Solomon says that he directed his son and mentors in the way of wisdom. He was there, pointing out the right way. He did not just leave it to others to point out the choices of wisdom. He made it clear that wisdom would do this or that, rather than what the fool would do.
We all need a good mentor or parent who will actually show us how the world works. We need someone who will direct us in the right way. It is a sad situation that this so rarely happens any more. This is what a father does or what a father figure does. He takes leadership in the young person's life and points out the right way. This direction is more than just talk; it must entail practice and communication and correction.
We must realize that none of us naturally wants to follow the path of wisdom. We all have the principle of selfishness in us that wants to gratify ourselves immediately and first. It is this tendency to foolishness that must be overcome with good mentoring and leadership so that we can see clearly that what we think we want initially is so often the fool’s gold of selfishness.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz