From Dr. Jeffrey L. Myers, in his recent book, Cultivate
Parenting coach Cathy Adams says that when she asks parents this kind of question, most say, “I just want my kids to be happy.” Fair enough. Few people would say the opposite.
But what is the biblical answer to the question? If we desire to faithfully apply what we know to be true of God’s nature and character and live out His mission for us as revealed in scripture, then the answer is clear: to love God, to properly steward one’s gifts, to be wise, and to be a blessing to all nations of the earth. Let’s look at the second one …
Steward One’s Gifts. In Genesis 1, God instructs Adam to fill the earth and subdue it and to rule over the animals. In Genesis 2, God made provision for this command by giving the man a garden that would serve as an illustration of what he was to do throughout the earth. Adam was instructed by God to name the animals. The Hebrew word for name, “sem,” implies both identifying the characteristics of something and taking responsibility for it.
Among ancient Israelites, moreover, there was a strong understanding that God’s image rested individually on each person.
As the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 139:13-14,
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
