Raised Biblically; to Rebel or be Righteous?

We can raise our children biblically, yet choosing to rebel or be righteous is theirs. They do not all go the way of their training, biblically. Then what does Proverbs 22:6 mean, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it?" Folks blessed to raise children in the church and not experience their children walking away from their faith may not understand why this is not an ironclad truth. Maybe their children acted out but returned to their family's practiced faith. Those parents are blessed, but becoming arrogant and judgmental is easy. I am not saying all do. But I will say that passage falls off their lips with ease, many times. The faithful work of parents who also raised their children from the start in the ways of the Lord, yet their child or children chose not to adopt that faith in their later years, is not considered. It can leave those parents struggling and questioning what they've done wrong. Living with feelings of inadequacy before the Lord, and guilt before other believers as they question themselves. Living with the embarrassment becomes a part of daily life, unless they leave their children in the hands of a loving God who continues to show mercy everyday.

Proverbs offer us greater possibilities and outcomes that flow from actions in a perfect world. If you offer a soft answer, it should quell wrath. It does not always, but it should. The fool's life should be cut short, and the righteous live long and fruitfully. We all know fools who live long and righteous people who die way too early. This is the teaching of Proverbs, the perfect, not the exact.

This brings me to the case of Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf, which saddens my heart. This case has gone from facts to narratives to divide our country along race and politics. What are some biblical realities of this incident for Christians to stand on? It is easy to fall into the frying pan of conjecture and how about-ism and miss a grander spiritual lesson. Our hearts should be broken over this case. Justice needs to happen, while believers don't take a side, except for the side of God's ultimate justice. The facts of this case appear to be that both boys were raised in families with biblical values. I say that only because the defendant's dad was a pastor, and his family was avid churchgoers. The victim's family was ready to offer forgiveness without hesitation. That makes me believe the boys were offered opportunities for moral values and possibly heard, "You should love your neighbor as yourself." We know neither practiced this reality in the moment. I will not get into the reality of that deadly moment, pointing fingers. There is enough of that going on, but let's look at two biblical stories that will allow us to hold each individual responsible for their actions and remind us to pray for the parents, no matter how the media or their actions represent them.

King Manasseh's and Josiah's stories are part of a godly dynasty. In 2 Kings, we read that Manasseh's dad was the righteous king Hezekiah. Manasseh grew up aware of the righteous worship his dad set up for the nation of Judah. He would have known about his father's faithfulness, sin, and repentance, all to the end of Judah's benefit. Hezekiah had a heart after the lineage of King David. Judah was the beneficiary of Hezekiah's righteousness, including acknowledging his sin. When Manasseh took the throne, he immediately did evil in God's sight. He knew what practicing righteousness looked like, but his life was the juxtaposition of his dad's, of his own choosing, not for a lack of knowledge.

Then we have Josiah, Manasseh's grandson. Josiah grew up under the reign of his father Amon and his grandfather Manasseh. He knew the evil of both men as they reigned over God's people. If the adage is correct, "The fruit does not fall far from the tree," you would think that Josiah had no choice but to become an evil ruler. Instead, the Scripture says, "He walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or the left." You can read about his reforms to get Judah back on track with the Lord in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. These kings did the opposite of what was practiced before them as children.

I bring this up because we are quick to ask, "What about the parents? Did they not teach their kids right and wrong? These kids must have grown up in a zoo." We go on and on and practice the judgment the devil would use to cause our hearts to harden to the reality that while justice is necessary, God's people must practice what is not absent in God's character, even in this case, mercy. Pray for justice. Justice swiftly given is a deterrent for future criminals. But mercy must come from us before we judge without the information the media leaves out to stir up hatred and division.

We can raise our children biblically. They get to choose to rebel or be righteous. In cases like Josiah, kids can be raised without biblical values and still be virtuous. Let God lead our motivations in this case. Regardless of the outcome, he has not stopped being part of each narrative. Is he still in charge? Let's act like it! Especially today in this Anthony vs. Metcalf heinous story, when people need sound biblical viewpoints amidst the finger-pointing.