“Practice What You Preach”

Saturday, July 05, 2014

Why do many preachers preach, and they say that when a son or daughter have drifted to the wrong path (meaning the worldly life), it is the parents’ fault?  Yet, you see that in there own household, they have youth who aren't serving God and are roaming the world... why do many preachers say that?

Sincerely,
Double-Checking Double Standards

Dear Double-Checking Double Standards,

We don’t pretend to represent all preachers; we can only tell you what the Bible says on the subject.  When we preach on the topic of raising children, we talk about the fact that parents have a huge influence on the future of their children.  God tells us that we should “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old they will not depart from it” (Pr 22:6).  That is one of many verses that address a parent’s responsibility to instill the truth in their children.  When kids grow up, they still have the freedom to choose right and wrong for themselves, but how their parents raise them sets them up for failure or success.

The fact that we preach on the responsibilities of parents doesn’t mean that all preachers are perfect parents – in fact, it is quite the opposite.  We are always preaching Bible concepts that we personally fail at.  Preachers fall short just like everyone else (Rom 3:23).  We don’t preach on moral issues because we are perfect men; we preach on these issues because God has given us His Word to guide us (Ps 119:105).  The message is perfect, not the messengers.

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