Fathers Day Gifts

Proverbs 3:1-8
Three boys are in the school yard bragging about how fast their fathers are.
The first one says, "my father runs the fastest. He can shoot an arrow, and run to the target before the arrow gets there."
The second one replies, "you think that's fast! My father is a hunter. He can shoot his gun and be there before the bullet."
The third one listens to the other two and shakes his head. He then says, "you two know nothing about fast. My father works for the government. He works until 4:30 and he is home by 3:45!"

The book of Proverbs has more to say about the role of a father than any other book in the Bible. In the first seven chapters, Solomon addresses his son. This is a Jewish father giving his son practical advice about life.
In Proverbs 3, we find 3 gifts that fathers can give their children.

CONDUCT-
We find Solomon here referring to the wisdom he is handing down
In fact, the entire book of Proverbs is Solomon's attempt to give counsel to his son
He uses the words law and commandment here,
Parents have the responsibility to provide guidance and direction to their children
We all need boundaries to help us be responsible and productive people
Discipline is a very difficult subject and one many prefer to avoid altogether
The result is permissive parents and unruly children
Proverbs 29 A child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
We need to understand that discipline is not a negative term.
It implies that we are teaching our children, instructing them in proper behavior
Certainly discipline can be overdone and done poorly
The Bible also addresses this:
Colossians 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
We can be overbearing with our children and actually cause them to rebel
A parent who is always down on a child or can never be pleased will discourage obedience
We have to remember that the goal is not control but teaching them self-control
Certainly, we won't instill self-control if we are out of control and losing it
Parents must be consistent and balanced and loving at all times
And we need to recognize that praise is a part of discipline as much as correction
Parents need to demonstrate approval when their children do well
We need to give our children age-appropriate standards
Solomon's writing here indicates he is writing to a son on the verge of or entering adulthood
Certainly we would expect the wording to be different if the child were 5 or 10
A child should be given freedom proportionate to their maturity level
So, we can give our children the gift of learning to control and conduct themselves

CHARACTER-
We can give our children the gift of character
A child's personality may be quite different from our own, but we can teach them integrity
Solomon speaks here of the importance of mercy and truth: Hold them close
Mercy might be explained as kindness or compassion
Truth speaks of what is real and genuine and right
Solomon is directing his son to be trustworthy, faithful and yet considerate to others
John 8:31-32 If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
The best way to teach our children that truth matters is to be living examples
Give your children a good name, untarnished by scandal, and expect them to bring it honor
Teach them that