Set your heart on the right path

“Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path:” (Proverbs 23:19)

 

We can sometimes hear adults expressing deplorable mind while looking at young man. And a young man who had evaded to listen to an adult has become an adult so soon. As an adult, he repeats to young man again, the words of lament he oneself heard from adults when he was young. Ah, what a funny series of the situations! After all, we apprehend that both adults and young people should listen to God’s words. This is because if anybody get true wisdom, the person can walk the right path in life. As it has become a reality that prohibits the disciplinary action of children in the name of autonomy and personality education, it must be a quite problem on home education.

 

Not everything adult says is wholly right, nor every adult is a person with fine character. Therefore, every person always need to learn the lesson of Christ and submit to God. Then whoever can be the right person, and respect and order will be naturally achieved between adults and children too. In the Bible, it said to admonish the child definitely. Even if parents’ using whip in case of need, admonition to their own children is just necessary. This is because it can bring out children’s soul from deep hell by giving a little pain on legs’ calves in order to enlighten and correct the mistake. Personal character is matured not only on its own, but also must be raised properly by discipline to prevent it from going astray. Parents should pay lovely concern and regulate control for children, not to leave alone them wandering before hell.

If we say disciplinary action for children, some people may raise a counterargument, citing abnormal parental abuse of their children. But here, we don’t mean to talk about such negative case. If the son’s heart is wise, the parents’ heart will be happy, and if the child is honest, the parents will gain strength. So if parents wish to have a sincere and happy living with children, the parents must only not evade to teach and rebuke the children. Parents’ efforts to lead their children’s lives on the right path are just necessary until children reach adulthood. It would be good much more that some irresponsible underage education policies, if it will be improved, and bring parents and children closer together.

People usually aspire to be materially rich. Thus, many parents desire earnestly for their own children to beat others and become rich somehow. As the result, it seems to be a ridiculous world too much, for they say it has become a society being rather praised by neighbors, even if a person go to prison on account of committing any crimes, such as breach of trust, embezzlement, or fraud. The word of God says this, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.” in Proverbs 23:17. However, many people’s heart envy sinners’ prosperity. They would think like that, because they are not in awe of Jehovah truly. To choose which on the path between good and evil depends on whether in awe of Jehovah or not. Remember this clearly, only, a hopeful future is guaranteed for those who awe God Jehovah. Therefore, the meaning the text teaches is to carry out the path of life wisely. Those who fear the Lord and believe in Jesus Christ are those who have gained the wisdom of life.

The following is the general characteristics of people who are trying to become rich with unrighteous ways. They like to drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, and sleep. Also, they manage neglectfully the parents without listening to parents’ lesson. When they get truth, wisdom, admonition, without their using the things rightly for the spiritual change of oneself they put it back to become into egoistic desire. Such behaviors show attitudes that the wrong people act habitually. Those who follow the desires of the flesh while not doing respect their parents is the wretches like beast. They don’t think valuable the human noble virtues. They behave foolishly, just as an immature child gives new rubber shoes to the peddler and swaps the sweet jelly. If you are caught up in fleshly injustice and lust and betray the redemption of the soul and the faith in Jesus, there will not be real hope in your life.

 

Parents’ admonition is absolutely necessary for children. Parents can get joy and hope through their children who accept discipline. The text is a lesson to follow wisdom, honesty, and righteousness in awe of Jehovah and to be filial to parents. In such life of the process, don’t envy the sinner’s prosperity, and don’t go out with those who live only for the pleasure of the flesh, and we need to live earnestly. “To live as wise child of God who follows this lesson,” the Holy Spirit earnestly asks us this.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on May 1st 2022)