A thought
by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-04) from his book, Ten Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe (p. 41). The Crown
Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
Now
this is an important distinction in how we view the Proverbs.
Larry
says, “Promises are absolute, especially God's. When he makes a Promise, it's a
done deal. You can take it to the bank. But a proverb is different. It's an
observation about how life generally works. It tells us what usually happens,
not what always happens.”
He
goes on, “The book of Proverbs is called Proverbs for good reason. It's
comprised of God-breathed observations about life. But the observations are far
from universal. The righteous aren't always honored. The wicked sometimes
succeed. The diligent can lose it all, and the lazy can strike it rich. The same goes for Solomon's encouraging words
about children who are properly raised. It's a proverb, not a promise. Not many
will depart from their spiritual roots. But some will.”
So
Proverbs 22: 6: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he
will not turn from it” is a proverb not a promise. And because of that Larry says, “So it's not
saying that a properly raised child will never rebel. It's merely saying that
he's unlikely to do so.”
Now
if we see it as a promise there is the potential of pride if they don’t turn
from God or guilt if they do but if we see it as a proverb then we strive to do
all we can to train them and guide them but at some point it is up to them to
decide as they get older. We always will
have a major burden for them but they still have a choice.
So
how does this thought make a difference in your day?
