Today, lighthouses are interesting tourist attractions, but when they were created, they were critical, life saving devices. During bright and sunny days, lighthouses served almost no purpose. Sailors don’t need to see the light when light is all around them, and when they can see the land.
But when it is dark, and the clouds cover the stars, the light from the lighthouse shines in the darkness. It warns sailors that there is danger below the surface. It also encourages sailors letting them know that the safety of land is near.
When our children are young, we teach them truths from God. These truths are like lighthouses. Since they are still under our protection, it is sometimes hard to tell if what we are teaching is sinking in. As they mature, we should expect our children to test the things they learned. This testing process will turn the rules and the “God of their parents” into “their God.” It is critical that people learn to trust Jesus for themselves. At the end of the account of the Woman at the Well, the people of the town say, “They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’” John 4:42
Expect that children will test our guidance to see if it holds up when we are not around.
That testing process can be rough. As children grow and chase their own life, they will find themselves in storms. Fortunately for them, they will have those truth’s we pointed them to as light shining in their darkness. The storm will whip them around, but they will know the way to get back home.
In the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, the younger boy decides he knows better and goes off to live the life he felt he had been deprived of. He abandoned all the teaching’s of God and wisdom that we read in Proverbs. But, when he was brought low enough to be envious of the pigs (vs16), he remembered the “lighthouse” his father gave him. He recalled how even his father’s servants lived a good life under the care of the wise master of the house (vs17). It was the memory of his father’s example that drew him back.
When Solomon dedicated the temple in 1 Kings 8:46-51, he prayed to God that the Temple would be a place for people to look towards, both in joy and sorrow. When the people sinned and God punished them, they were to look back toward the Temple, and God would have compassion on them. Today the Holy Spirit dwells in our body as the temple, but spiritually we need to learn from Solomon’s prayer and look back toward the Light of God who shines to point us in the right direction.
Deuteronomy 6 tells us to teach our children God’s truth and reinforce it through our actions. When they decide to test it, they will always know that they are comparing their options in life against the Truth and know how to get back if they stray.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
