Raising Kids in the Age of Foolishness

There are too many fools in the world!

Raising Kids in the Age of Foolishness: Foundational Traits of the Wise #2

Intellectual and Moral Discernment: “A wise man will hear and increase learning” (Proverbs 1:5).

The attainment of wisdom is not static, it is dynamic. Every moment and experience of life is an opportunity to learn to discern. This does not happen by accident. Children are natural explorers. They are curious. They get themselves into situations, often without knowing how they will get out of them. The problem is that children are not natural learners of intellectual and moral discernment. Being able to distinguish truth from error, right from wrong needs guidance. Raising Kids in the Age of Foolishness: Foundational Traits of the Wise #2

Intellectual and Moral Discernment: “A wise man will hear and increase learning” (Proverbs 1:5).

The attainment of wisdom is not static, it is dynamic. Every moment and experience of life is an opportunity to learn to discern. This does not happen by accident. Children are natural explorers. They are curious. They get themselves into situations, often without knowing how they will get out of them. The problem is that children are not natural learners of intellectual and moral discernment. Being able to distinguish truth from error, right from wrong needs guidance. Children take in everything like sponges. Sponges do not discern what they absorb. They soak up whatever they are pressed into. It could be spilt milk or gasoline. Once inside it is nearly impossible to rinse out. This is how we must look at the life of a child. They are little sponges soaking up everything, good and evil, right and wrong, truth and error, myth and reality. They are not good at sifting things out that need to be discarded. They will absorb things that should not be let into their minds. Once there it cannot be unseen or unheard or unexperienced. It must be processed like food within the body. Our children need help processing life.

The word “learning” in this text carries three nuances of meaning. First, there is the instructor who imparts learning. Who is instructing your children. Controlling the input goes a long way to getting a good outcome. Know your children’s teachers, not just the ones in school, but those in their locker room, those classmates who have influence, those neighbors who spend time with your children, even family members who impart their views. Interview the instructors to find out what your children are being taught. Second, there is your child who is receiving the instruction. They may have a wonderful, godly, knowledgeable instructor, but if they do not know how to receive instruction or have some impediment to receiving it, it might be wasted. My wife was a kindergarten teacher. She determined with each new little sponge who came into her classroom whether any one of them had something about them that would hinder learning. It might be a vision problem, a hearing problem, a traumatic experience, a psychological issue, or a personality trait. Some sponges just can’t absorb learning well. Thirdly, learning is persuasion. It is meant to change the way your child views reality, thinks, processes, incorporates knowledge, and puts things into practice. Parents must assist their children in using the learning they are receiving. Persuasion is not complete until it results in action. When these three aspects of learning occur in a healthy way, wisdom will result. They soak up whatever they are pressed into. It could be spilt milk or gasoline. Once inside it is nearly impossible to rinse out. This is how we must look at the life of a child. They are little sponges soaking up everything, good and evil, right and wrong, truth and error, myth and reality. They are not good at sifting things out that need to be discarded. They will absorb things that should not be let into their minds. Once there it cannot be unseen or unheard or unexperienced. It must be processed like food within the body. Our children need help processing life.

The word “learning” in this text carries three nuances of meaning. First, there is the instructor who imparts learning. Who is instructing your children. Controlling the input goes a long way to getting a good outcome. Know your children’s teachers, not just the ones in school, but those in their locker room, those classmates who have influence, those neighbors who spend time with your children, even family members who impart their views. Interview the instructors to find out what your children are being taught. Second, there is your child who is receiving the instruction. They may have a wonderful, godly, knowledgeable instructor, but if they do not know how to receive instruction or have some impediment to receiving it, it might be wasted. My wife was a kindergarten teacher. She determined with each new little sponge who came into her classroom whether any one of them had something about them that would hinder learning. It might be a vision problem, a hearing problem, a traumatic experience, a psychological issue, or a personality trait. Some sponges just can’t absorb learning well. Thirdly, learning is persuasion. It is meant to change the way your child views reality, thinks, processes, incorporates knowledge, and puts things into practice. Parents must assist their children in using the learning they are receiving. Persuasion is not complete until it results in action. When these three aspects of learning occur in a healthy way, wisdom will result.