Wisdom for the school year

My children are 18 and 21 (in other words, they are young adults making young adult decisions while simultaneously needing their parents' support and guidance).  My husband and I strive to guide and direct them using our shared experiences and common sense, but, in the end, our best advice always comes from the Bible. Here are just a few of my favorite verses.

• When I think of the perils of social media and the stress it causes our children, I love David's words in Psalm 56: I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me. But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  What can mere mortals do to me (2-4)?  Also, verse 8 says You [God] keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
• When I think of the temptations our children face on the bus, in their cars and on their computers, I love King Solomon's warnings:  Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers.  Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.  Turn away and keep moving (Proverbs 4:14-15).
• Solomon also had some wise words about the opposite sex for our young men:  Wisdom will save you from...the seductive words of the promiscuous woman. She...ignores the covenant she made before God.  Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to the grave. The man who visits her is doomed.  He will never reach the paths of life (Proverbs 2:16-19).
• And for our young ladies, the apostle Paul reminds us about modesty in 2 Timothy 2:9: And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.  This passage is NOT a call for legalism or an old-fashioned mindset but instead a simple parental reminder for when belly rings, crop tops, Uggs® and tattoos hold sway over many of our conversations with our daughters.
• My favorite piece of Biblical instruction for my young adults though comes from 1 Corinthians 6:20.  It says You are not your own, you are bought with a price.  So honor God with your body.  As believers, my children understand that this passage is a call to honor God in remembrance of the enormous sacrifice he made on their behalf.

So remember, as you begin this new school year, that while Dr. Oz, Oprah and Dr. Phil may say some valuable things to say, God's Word and his precepts are ultimately the best way to keep your child on track, no matter their age.  Give it to them in large doses; they [Biblical precepts] are life to those who find them and healing to all their flesh (Proverbs 4:22).