My wife and I married at the age of 21. Neither of us had an interest in baby-making. For three years our experience of the general behaviour of children (the ‘fruit of parenting’) turned us off the idea of ever having our own.

We maintained this stand without wavering until the day my wife farewelled me from our home at Ipswich, Queensland – I was departing on a six-weeks overseas assignment with the Royal Australian Air Force. Danny, a five-years old boy who lived next door, knowing of my departure, came to Beryl, who was waving goodbye to me at the front of our home, gently took her by the hand and tenderly said… “Don’t be sad. Do you need any money?” At that moment, Danny had unknowingly changed our views on parenting – we’d never be the same again. If our marital love could produce that kind of fruit then we desired to be counted in!

Friends, the increasing level of out-of-control behaviour and disrespect by many children in our world that is being evidenced today is proof-enough that ‘modern’ parenting methods have not worked in ways society had hoped… our kids are running wild and lawless, ruling in their homes and within the general populous with little or no restraint. The ‘five-count’ finger waving threat, yelling and screaming, and plea bargaining hasn’t worked! If just speaking the right words to our children is effective in guiding and correcting them then why is it that our police force and judicial system are bursting at the seams with juvenile offences of assaults, break and enters, motor vehicle thefts, stabbings, rape, house fires,  etc, etc…?  More police, more courts and more correctional institutions is not the answer!

This escalating dilemma of dreadful behaviour by our children is the smoke of our concern, not the fire! The fire is the cause – the smoke is the consequence. Extinguish the fire and the smoke will disappear! So, today I am sounding the alarm on the ‘fire’ that is producing the smoke that is destroying our kids and choking the life out of societies, locally and globally!

Without our Heavenly Father, parenting children for right results is impossible! The way God parents us is the way we must parent our children… it’s the only way that works! Even if parents are filled with honest and sincere intent, they still need to know and follow the ‘parental blue print’ that the Heavenly Father has for every child He creates and  gifts to parents. Without this blue print and without His enabling power, ‘parenting that works’ can be no more than an elusive dream… a nightmare! The good news is this: With the full backing of our Heavenly Father, and the enabling of His Holy Spirit, parenting can, and does, work! In fact, parenting should be a wonderful experience! (More about this important topic next week.)

Best wishes

Bill Joukhadar