My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you.
Proverbs 6:20-22.
One can hardly give young people about to leave their God-fearing parents’ house better counsel than these verses from the Bible. They need firm convictions, so as not to be swept away in the whirlpool of secular thinking. Solomon recommends that they make their parents’ instructions, which are based on the Word of God, their own convictions and life’s maxim. Our environment often tries to persuade us to do precisely the opposite: develop your own personality, break free from the old-fashioned traditions of your parents. But the normal ways for young adults to learn is to follow the example and instructions of those who have been obedient to the Word of God and had plenty of experience of faith in the process.
The instructions to bind them to their heart and neck means to live so closely in fellowship with the Lord and according to His Word that the divine truth forms and guides both their character and their will. In this way alone can a young person be of use to others.
“When you awake, they will speak with you.” How much better it is to awaken with a clear conscience and God’s approval than with a mind being driven along by one’s own ambitious planning. For the personal happiness of the young it is exceedingly important that they lead their life according to the instructions of God’s Word with a good conscience, as they have learned from their God-fearing parents.
Image: By Gustave Doré – http://oneyearbible.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/ecclesiastes.gif While this web site (and many others) describe this engraving as “Ecclesiastes”, this is not correct., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=501661
