“Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.”                   1 Chronicles 11:22

Can you imagine being the mom or dad of Benaiah? Me either. What did they say or do to instill such courage? His father was obviously a courageous man, but Benaiah seems to have exceeded him. He was recognized as one of King David’s mighty warriors and “held in great honor” (11:25). While I highly doubt there were any warrior parenting books published during this time, I have to believe they used God’s word to train this man of courage.

If we look back, we read perhaps a bit of the words taught to Benaiah. “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5). There was nothing about a person that did not belong to the Lord. Should we be any different now? The answer is no. We can go on and read more parenting wisdom that should apply to us today as well. I will summarize verses 6-25 if I can. Talk about what the Lord requires often with your children. Do not forget the Lord and never serve another, for God is jealous for what belongs to Him. Do what is right in God’s sight, not what everyone else does. We were once slaves, but God has set us free and we are to live accordingly. Incredible wisdom in just one short chapter.

Friends, our children are facing battles we never dreamed of when we were growing up. Are we training them to go the way of the world or are we raising mighty men and women who love God with all heart, mind and strength? It takes an enormous amount of time and attention. It is pretty consuming to be honest. However, it is worthy work and when I see someone investing in what will matter in eternity, I try and say something. Everyone needs encouragement until we see our King, whom we serve, face to face. Keep going!!