Success Without Succession Is Failure

Observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
–Proverbs 6:20

In the book of Proverbs, Solomon gave us seven keys of being a successful parent. Let’s look at each one using the acrostic SUCCESS.

S = See your children as a gift from God.
Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Successful parents do not see their children as an irritant or inconvenience but as a gift from the Lord.

U = Understand, accept, and develop each child’s unique bent.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Successful parents know, develop, and maximize the unique bent of each child.

C = Commit to lead your children to Christ.
The most important task we have as parents is leading our children to faith in Christ. Jesus said, “Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Children are capable of understanding the gospel far earlier than we think.

C = Communicate spiritual values to your children.
In Proverbs 6:20, Solomon said, “My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.” Successful parents look for teachable moments to communicate spiritual truth.

E = Exemplify godly character to your children.
Your children are not only listening to what you are saying, but they are also watching to see how you live out those truths in your life. Successful parents practice what they preach.

S = Seek to discipline your children consistently.
Proverbs 3:12 says, “Whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” And Proverbs 23:13 advises parents, “Do not hold back discipline from the child.” Successful parents learn to say, “I love you too much to allow you to behave like that.”

S = Spend time with your children.
Many parents aren’t spending time with their children, so teenagers are turning to friends, music, television, and social media. Successful parents commit to spending time with their children.

When you exit life’s stage for the last time, your influence will continue in the children you leave behind. That is why Solomon says that success without succession is failure.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Success Without Succession Is Failure” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2013.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.