Bringing joy

TODAY'S READING: Proverbs 10:1
There is so much packed in this one verse of Scripture. On the surface it seems pretty basic. A wise child brings joy to his father and a foolish child brings grief to his mother. OK. So the lesson is over right? Well, maybe not.
Until you become a father you can't begin to fully appreciate this verse and what it says. I remember in my teenage years I would go out and do something that I wanted to do but it disappointed my parents. My attitude would often be, "Hey! This is my life. I will do with it what I want." Now while these is a bit of truth in that, it is not really the truth.
It is not just my life. I did not create it. I did not nurture it. It was a gift. My parents decided to have a child. I was born. And as I grew up they took care of me. They provided for me. They instructed me. They shaped me. They invested time, energy, and resources into who I was, who I am, and who I will continue to become. None of us has the right to claim life selfishly.
Unfortunately, our individualistic culture has brainwashed us into thinking that the world revolves around us. Whether we admit it or not, all of us have bought into the lie in some way, shape, or form. There are moments we all reveal the selfishness that has become a part of our being.
But this selfishness is especially visible as we transition from childhood into adulthood. Not because teenagers are any more selfish. No, I think it's more visible because teenagers are more open with their emotions. They haven't learned as well as adults the fine art of concealing their sins and shortcomings.
I share these thoughts to challenge all of us. We all struggle with bringing joy to our Father. I believe the real message behind this proverb is not just that we must strive to bring joy to our earthly father. While that is important, I really believe it is an essential part of learning to bring joy to the Father of all creation. Our
relationship with our parents is really a training ground for our relationship with God.
This is why it is so important for children to learn to honor their parents and it is equally important for parents to model Jesus to their children as much as is humanly possible. We are all together in this struggle to honor God in a fallen world. And when we realize that our role and purpose in this world is to bring honor to Him and not to please ourselves, our relationships will improve and we can all work together to lift up the name of God in this world He so desperately wants to heal and redeem.

shine!
Jason