sitemaster INSPIRATION 101: PARENTS AND PARENTING
Beyond procreation, parents have the noble task of building the next generation by inculcating virtues and values in their wards. The acid test for good parenting is not in the quality of education, clothing, houses, jobs amongst others the children are able to have but the quality of character they are able to display. Well trained kids are an insurance of family heritage and a guarantee for generational perpetuity. Unfortunately, parents get either casual or distracted thereby neglecting their primary duties of character moulding
Eli was a priest in Israel but the following was said of his children "The sons of Eli were sons of Belial". Belial was an idol and represents idolatry while Eli was a priest with primary duties of worship to God and moral crusade. Unfortunately, while Eli was promoting godliness and morality to others, his children were doing the direct opposite. He was building the homes of others while his own home was crumbling. He was careless at the home front that Belial sneaked in and took over his kids, turning them into rascals who diverted animals meant for sacrifice to personal use. They also desecrated the altar by sleeping with women who went for spiritual cleansing. While their father championed moral crusade, they were agents of immorality. The attention of Eli was drawn to the wild life of his wards but he could do little to stop them.
We have many Elis today. They go right, tell others to go right while their families and go left. They may be religious leaders but their home is a typical case of idolatry and moral decay. They may be teachers but never at home as their kids parade the poorest academic performances. They may be medical professionals but their wards struggle for medical attention elsewhere. They may be fathers but never to their kids. They may be wealthy but their families wallow in penury. Such parents have given an open invitation to Belial to adopt, coach and mentor their children.
Such homes breed deviants of societal norms and values. It is a factory for production of societal misfits and terrorists. They crumble in one sweep what their parents have built in a life time. They signal an end to a generation as Eli had to be succeeded by a stranger, Samuel, thereby breaking the chain of priestly generation in the lineage. The household names, business enterprises as well as principles some parents have may go with them as soon as they vacate the stage. This is because they have allowed strangers to mentor and derail their progenies.
The best investment to the kids is first in moral upbringing. Virtue is a central and tested pillar in the construction of career and life edifices. Those that care to invest heavily in it revel in enduring and durable edifices. Any success that does not insure the home front is a misplacement of priorities.
Inspiration Express with SC
