A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: Proverbs 1:5
Picture with me if you would, Solomon, son of David, King of Israel, sitting under the light of candle, dipping his quill in ink, striking the parchment, leaving behind a book of wisdom. To put it in his words, “To know wisdom and instruction; To perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity. To give subtilty to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and increase learning; And a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:”
Can I ask, where is the wisdom of this generation? Please do not judge me too hard when I express concerns with our young men and women of promise who struggle with their own gender identity and are socially inept when it comes to communication and verbal expression. Take the iPhone, Blackberry, or Droid from their hands and ask them to plant a garden, hand them a wrench or manual typewriter, ask them to write in cursive, and they struggle to exist.
Everything my father and mother taught me about presentation and appearance has been tossed out. This generation no longer dresses like a prospect, but a suspect. Anything goes. Dots with stripes, tennis shoes with formal wear, torn frayed jeans with suit blazers. Pants below the behind, purple, pink, blue hair. Men with man buns and women with flat tops. I am not judging, pounding a dead horse, nor licking my candy stick. I am simply looking at a generation that appears to be struggling to hear, listen, learn, and attain counsel.
Or could it be we as fathers and mothers have dropped the ball, failing to instruct, give, impart, and position the next generation? Fathers have abandoned, mothers have dropped off children at the daycare, preschool, or public school, then brought them to church (if they attend) and said, “Here pastor, you have twenty-five minutes to change the eternal destination of my child because I have important things to do.”
Our prayer for you this week: May we realize the greatest investment we can make this week is not our 401K or retirement. It is to invest in the mind, soul, and spirit of our children.