extremity of the moment, is willing to bare his soul in earnest
pleading for his child to act in wisdom and faith. It is a special kind of
communication that is reserved for use in cases of great import.
(^) We get insight into entreaty in the Proverbs 23 passage quoted
above. One cannot help hearing the earnest entreaty behind the words
of Proverbs 23:26, “My son, give me your heart ... ”
(^) I have used this kind of communication in talking to my boys
about the importance of avoiding sexual sins such as pornography. On
scores of occasions I have entreated them about the danger of opening
themselves to impurity. I have spoken about how sexual sin
denigrates the image of God and fails to preserve his name as holy
and glorious. I have warned that a life of sexual maladjustment is a
high price to pay for fleeting moments of titillation. I have mixed my
entreaty with encouragement that the joys of biblical sex within
marriage are beautiful beyond description. (You will find a primer for
this speech in Proverbs 5–7.) Obviously, I have not had conversations
like this every day, but periodic entreaty about such important issues
bears good fruit.
Instruction
(^) Instruction is the process of providing a lesson, a precept, or
information that will help your children to understand their world. As
a parent, you are dealing with young people who have large gaps in
their understanding of life. They need information about themselves
and others. They need to understand the world of spiritual reality and
the principles of the Kingdom of God.
(^) Your children need a framework in which they can understand
life. King Solomon’s Proverbs are a rich source of information about
life. The child who begins to understand the Proverbs’
characterization of the fool, the sluggard, the wise man, the mocker,
and so forth will develop discernment about life.
(^) I was amazed to see my children interact with their high school