A Happy Answer By Paul Chappell Tuesday, Aug 27, 2013 "My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me." Proverbs 27:11 Although he came from a powerful and wealthy family, William Penn was greatly persecuted in England because he was a Quaker. After being acquitted in a criminal trial that hinged on his refusal to be part of the Church of England, Penn received permission to go to America and found a new colony—Pennsylvania. Unlike most of the other colonies, Pennsylvania offered a great deal of religious freedom. Penn not only helped shape the new nation of America, but he left behind a great deal of wise advice as well. His work Some Fruits of Solitude in Reflections and Maxims was popular in colonial America. In it, Penn wrote this about the importance of spending the time to train young people to do right rather than relying on money to make up for parental shortcomings. “Men are generally more careful of the Breed of their Horses and Dogs than of their Children. Those must be of the best Sort, for Shape, Strength, Courage and good Conditions: But as for these, their own Posterity, Money shall answer all Things. With such, it makes the Crooked Straight, sets Squint-Eyes Right, cures Madness, covers Folly, changes ill Conditions, mends the Skin, gives a sweet Breath, repairs Honor, makes Young, works Wonders.” It is a double tragedy when parents fail to teach and train their children. It is a tragedy for the children because they miss “the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4) that every child needs to be equipped for life. But such careless parents also rob themselves of the joy of seeing children develop into men or women of God. Many parents mourn missed opportunities in their later years when it is too late to go back and shape the child’s life.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 11:04:05 +0000
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