Joel M Bradshaw

20My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.21Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.
22When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.—Proverbs 6

1. I am so blessed to be Dad to my two children. And my wife and I spend time teaching our children key truths from the Bible and applying them to their lives.
2. Mostly this takes the form of what we expect of them regarding behavior. Jen is really good at forming Biblical truths in their hearts. My instruction often reminds them of their mother’s and enforces it. 3.
3. Sometimes Mom’s words are more like teaching and Dad’s more like commandment, just like the proverb!
4. Like children, we learn wise things in life to guide us and prepare us. We invest in remembering and pursuing them, and then are intentional in applying them.
5. That wisdom affects both our insides and our outsides. The proverb pictures them as bound to the heart and tied around the neck. They are there wherever we walk and even preserve us when we sleep.
6. People in your life who teach you good things are a blessing. What wisdom do you bind upon your heart or tie to your neck?
7. Repeating the Bible throughout your day makes wonderful self-talk reminders. This self-talk is key regarding combatting depression and addressing anxiety.—JMB