In Praise Of Marriage And Parenting

My wife Connie and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary
yesterday. Outside of the decision to trust Jesus Christ as my
personal Savior, my marriage to this wonderful woman was the best
decision I ever made in my life. Connie has given me three terrific
children, and they have given us six spectacular grandchildren. None
of our kids has been hooked on drugs or alcohol. They have not been
arrested or jailed. (Although, with the way our government is passing
laws contrary to the principles of liberty and decency, it is getting
increasingly more difficult for any of us to stay out of jail.) They
are polite, respectful, and courteous Christians. Our daughters-in-law
and son-in-law are absolutely magnificent. We are all as close as any
family can possibly be. As far as I am concerned, no matter what else
I achieve–or fail to achieve–in this world, the family that God has
given me makes my life a success. Anything else pales in comparison.

In addition, it seems to me that far too many people in our country
overlook the importance of child rearing. Many seem to feel that just
about everything else–job, career, money, “success,” etc.–occupies a
higher priority than raising honest, God-fearing children. However,
Connie and I decided years ago that raising our children would be a
priority in our lives, and boy, we are glad we did!

I’ll say it straight out: it does not take a village to raise kids; it
takes loving and courageous parents. Parents who are not afraid to
discipline their children (yes, Martha, I mean old fashioned spanking:
applying the board of education to the seat of knowledge); parents who
are willing to spend time teaching their children right from wrong;
parents who will take–not send–their children to church; parents who
will pray with their children; parents who care more about truth and
right than they do about being well-liked or politically correct;
parents who will teach their kids to say “Yes, Sir,” and “Yes, Ma’am”;
parents who are not afraid to say “No” to their children; dads who
think it is more important that they be a father to their sons than a
“buddy”; and moms who would rather their daughters had pure hearts
than popular friends.

How is it that when it comes to leadership expectations, most people
ignore a man’s leadership at home? It is almost as if parental
leadership is a complete non-factor in judging a person’s fitness for
anything. Now, please do not get me wrong: I am not suggesting that
bad children cannot come from good homes. Goodness, no! I have seen
very vile young people come out of some of the most righteous homes,
and likewise, I have seen some of the most wonderful and Godly young
people come out of the most wretched homes. I am only saying that real
leadership is established and proven in the home first. Yet, it does
not appear that too many people give parental leadership a second
thought anymore. Perhaps this explains much as to what has gone wrong
in our society.

Yes, I am aware of the various and sundry political and societal
attacks against marriage and parenting. I see the many battles in the
“culture war.” I see the attempts to redefine the meaning of marriage,
to wrestle control and authority of the home away from the parents,
and to bombard our children with ideas and philosophies that will
ultimately ruin their lives. And, yes, it could come to a point that
decent families will be forced to make the same kind of choices that
our Pilgrim forebears had to make.

That said, however, the power of marriage and parenting is still the
greatest force in the world. Good families can stem the tide of
humanism, socialism, fascism, globalism, or any other “ism” that seeks
to enslave us. Good families can preserve liberty and independence,
fight off totalitarianism, resist corporate elitism, and promote faith
and virtue. Good families are the backbone of our country’s greatness,
and the lack of good families will be the cause of our country’s fall
from greatness.

Greedy, power-mad politicians are no match for a generation of strong
marriages. Young people with character and courage trump purveyors of
pretension any day. One principled champion–trained and equipped by
strong, stalwart parents–will put a thousand moral weaklings to
flight.

While Pharaoh built his monuments, a humble Hebrew mother taught and
nurtured her son, a little boy miraculously drawn forth from the
watery reeds. That little boy became the deliverer of his people. It
was a Godly mother and father that produced the prophet who would
anoint the greatest king of Israel. It was a Spirit-filled mother and
father who produced the forerunner of the Messiah. And it was a
virtuous, principled mother–not a government agency, educational
institution, or commercial enterprise–whom God chose to bring the
Savior of mankind into the world.

Furthermore, while the potentates and governments of the earth gazed
steadfastly upon the might and power of the British Empire, no one
noticed the humble homes of Colonial America, where mothers and
fathers worked by the light of hearth and candle to discipline, teach,
and inspire a generation of patriots unlike the world has ever seen.

Strong, committed, principled parenting has done more to change the
course of history, depose despots, promote righteousness, protect
virtue, and secure liberty than all of the colleges, corporate
boardrooms, and presidential palaces combined. And who knows? At this
very moment, mothers and fathers across America could be nurturing and
training the next generation of patriots who will rise up and restore
the principles of liberty and greatness to our land? I will tell you
this: if parents do not do it, no one else can.

Pastor Chuck Baldwin is a regular contributor to Correctness Commentary.