They Are Your Children

In the news recently was the story about tow 12 year olds… the below is taken from FoxNews.com..

LOS ANGELES –  On Saturday, two 12-year-old girls in Waukesha, Wisconsin were arrested on charges of attempted first-degree murder for luring a fellow classmate into the woods, where they allegedly held her down and stabbed her 19 times.

Court documents revealed that the suspects may have been motivated by their obsession with an Internet creation called Slenderman.

“Some say I’m evil, but all I ever wanted was (a) friend. I think that a few dozen casualties are to be expected during the quest for friendship,” reads the “About” description of Slenderman (also known as The Slender Man) on the character’s public figure Facebook page, which has well over one million likes.

The criminal complaint says the two girls were trying to become something called a “proxy of Slender” by murdering someone…..

(end of news article)

The article goes on to explain just what “Slenderman” – I won’t bother to go into it because that’s not the point… I know that in this day and age, with all the wonderful technology we have at our fingertips, it is hard to monitor EVERYTHING a child will do and see on the internet.  I am not at all against technology. I use it most of the day, every day. So that isn’t the point of this either.

My opinion is that parents have bought into this wholly stupid idea that it “takes a village” to the point that they let the village raise their child.

THEY ARE YOUR CHILDREN!!!!!

At the end of the day you and you alone are responsible for their care and upbringing. Yes, I know that it is difficult and yes I have raised two children. Where they always perfect? No. But they turned out to be great adults. You see I operated on the wisdom of God when He said..

In Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Keep in mind that the YOU is implied. They are YOUR children so YOU are to train them up.

Ephesians 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”    How about you teach them right from wrong, teach them the difference between selflessness and selfishness, and respect and a healthy but loving fear of God.

And here is one that is really going to rattle some minds… Proverbs 13:24  “He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.”  The correct amount of punishment and discipline has yet to ruin a child’s self-esteem. If you truly love and care for the well-being of your child you will apply the correct amount correctly.

Here is the deal – they are your children, but they are still children who are at best just trying to be kids and figure out the world around them. IF you allow the world around them to dictate who and what they are and believe then you get what you get. IF you take the initiative to teach them, love them, correct them, nurture them, and YES even control the process you will find that, except for the rare exception, your child(ren) will be stable, strong and productive. Will they make a mistake or two or three – well of course they will (you did) – but they will have a center reference point to come back to. A reference point that is firm, stable and healthy. They will be able to connect to the very God who created them and they will know right from wrong and so much more.

It is not easy, it will take a great deal of time and effort and it will take a great deal of resources. You will laugh often; cry just as much, be frustrated and joy and sometimes all at the same time. But they are your children, they are your responsibility. Don’t let society raise YOUR child. They belong to you not society.

And in the end there is great satisfaction that they can grow up to be adults you would actually want to hang out with.

THEY ARE YOUR CHILDREN