Parents.

"The Hebrew word for parents is horim, and it comes from the same root word as moreh, teacher. The parent is, and remains, the first and most important teacher that the child will ever have."

-Rabbi Kassel Abelson

"What we do at home is more important than what we do at church."

-Reggie Joiner

"Train up a child in the way he should go--and walk there yourself once in a while."

-Josh Billings

"Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy."

-Robert Heinlein

"My son, obey your father's commands, and don't neglect your mother's teaching. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. Wherever you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up in the morning, they will advise you. For these commands and this teaching are a lamp to light the way ahead of you. The correction of discipline is the way to life."

-Proverbs 6:20-23

A small college at a track and field event had a cross-eyed javelin thrower. He didn't win any medals but he sure kept the crowd alert!

I sure hope this passage by the Father keeps us alert! Whether you're a child, mom, or dad, this passage is for you. "My son, obey your father's commands, and don't neglect your mother's teaching."

A teenage son, or daughter, cannot be right with God and wrong with mom and dad! It simply does not work that way. "Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do" (Ephesians 6:1). "You children must always obey your parents, for this is what pleases the Lord" (Colossians 3:20). Obedience to parents is not really up for discussion. God doesn't beat around the bush and make light conversation. He forcefully says, "You children must always obey . . . " End of discussion.

Over and over in the Scriptures, children are commanded to "obey your parents!" This passage in Proverbs 6 is full of life-long benefits and blessings that result from obedience:

"Wherever you walk, their counsel will lead you" (v.22).

"When you sleep, they will protect you" (v.22).

"When you wake up in the morning, they will advise you" (v.22).

"For these commands . . . light the way ahead of you" (v.23).

"The correction of discipline is the way to life" (v.23).

Obedience is a small price to pay for long-term direction, protection, information, illumination, and correction.

But let's not stop here! I heard an evangelist tell the story of a teenager who came to him after one of his meetings, handed him a small piece of paper, and quietly walked away. Opening the paper he found this neatly printed message:

Dear Sir,

In your message tonight you came down hard on teenagers and told us we must live Christ-like lives. You also said, "Teenagers are the leaders of tomorrow" and that we've got to do it right.

My question is this: If teenagers are the leaders of tomorrow, who will lead the leaders of tomorrow . . . TODAY?

Clear enough? Parental leadership is God's plan to lead, protect, advise, teach, correct, encourage, and love. All these things require T - I - M - E. Leading children is not a waste of time. You also don't spend your time raising children. No, if we do it right, raising children is an investment of time. Invest wisely, you only get one shot at this.

"Parents are prone to give their children everything except the one thing they need most. That is time: time for listening, time for understanding, time for helping, and time for guiding. It sounds simple, but in reality it is the most difficult task in parenting."

-Emma K. Hulbert

O be careful little feet where you go.

O be careful little feet where you go,

For the Father up above is looking down in love,

O be careful little feet where you go.

O be careful daddy's feet where you go . . .