A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 28: 7. " Your Child Is Your Resume"

Proverbs 28: 7     Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.

Proverbs 28: 7.  When I was a child heading off on the day of a school field trip, a church outing, or another situation where I’d be among unfamiliar adults, my parents would say to me, “Now don’t you embarrass me.”

I thought that was pretty doggone arrogant of my folks---- like they were the center of the universe, like if I got in trouble the principal, or the pastor, or the police, or whomever caught me would actually think, “Hmmph.  His parents didn’t teach him nothin'.”

Well now I’m an adult, a pastor who’s been an asst. principal, and worked with police.  You know what?

When a kid goes out around unfamiliar adults and gets into trouble, the first thing that the authorities think is, “Hmmph.  His parents should’ve raised him better.”

Every child bears the family name and the family honor.  It’s a burden that we should not tell them is removed.  Rather we should prepare them to bear it. 

Our children need to understand that the entire family is judged by their individual conduct just as they are individually judged by the company they choose to keep.

With time and on-to-one interaction, a child can demonstrate his/her individual worth independent of his/her associates.  But before, until, and unless that individual interview happens, friendships serve as the resumes of the young.  The clique, the crew defines the kid.  The kid defines the family.

Maybe it is unfair, but it is what it is.

If you’re a parent, prepare your children to represent you well.  Your child is your resume to the world.  If your baby cusses his teacher or refuses to do her assignments, you have told the school that you are disrespectful, vulgar, and lazy.  Maybe you aren’t any of those things, but that’s not what your resume says.

Maybe it is unfair, but it is what it is.

If you’re a kid (or an adult), choose your friends to represent you well.  What is the best thing in you/ about you?  If I looked at your circle of buddies, would I even have a clue as to how fantastic you actually are?  If not, you deserve better friends. 

Maybe it isn’t fair, but it is what it is.

----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

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Hall Memorial CME Church
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