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A successful pro baseball player walked away from the game. He said his four special-needs children needed him. As he left the stadium for the last time, reporters asked him to comment on his decision. He said, “Baseball is going to do just fine without me. It’s not going to miss a beat. But I’m the only father my children have. I’m the only husband my wife has. And they need me a lot more than baseball does.” Family is a place where members grow and learn. It is the best place to transmit values, morals, and priorities. The Bible book of Proverbs identifies many of the values that parents long to convey to their offspring. They focus on most–if not all–of the major areas of life–growing up, parenting, social justice, when and how to speak, work, marriage, sexuality, and money. The proverbs help us distinguish between what is wise and what is foolish. The book begins by telling us that reverence for the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge”–that we do not get moral truth from our friends in the streets, but from the Lord. Solomon–himself a father–says, “My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.” Today, moral standards are under attack. We must make family a place where God’s values are loved and taught.
