Being TWO

I Can Do It All Myself!

The two most common phrases to come out of the mouths of three-year-olds are “Why?” and “I can do it myself.” Questioning authority and making your own decisions are hallmarks of adulthood. But it tends to rattle us when the “young adult” is only three feet tall and stands with her hands on her hips and her lower lip pushed out and, once in a while, stomps her feet. Not always getting your way is another grown-up experience. Learning to deal with disappointment in an appropriate and healthy way is what makes a grown-up truly worth knowing. Tell that to the mom in the checkout line with a toddler writhing on the grimy linoleum and you just may get slapped!

Our children are well on their way to becoming contributing and productive adults who can care for others even by the age of three. They will test the boundaries, question the status quo, and find ways to step out on their own—as they should. They make plans, carry out those plans, and don’t always run their choices by us first. Even Jesus of Nazareth stepped out on his own before his parents were ready (see Luke 2:41-52). I suspect they were surprised more by his independent streak than his detour into the temple. After all, Mary and Joseph probably raised a compliant child who respected his parents and followed the rules.

When our kids step out like that, our first reaction might be to feel disregarded, disrespected, or even rejected. Although rules are meant to be followed and expectations are meant to be met, it’s important to double-check whether those rules help our kids grow or squash their development. Without opportunities to pull themselves up, they won’t know how to stand and how to walk—without holding our hands. Remember making sure there was a table within reach of your toddlers when they began cruising? At some point they let go and walked into that big empty space of your living room, on their own, with that goofy grin on their faces.

And we all prefer that when our kids let go, they do it with a silly smile and not a look of terror.

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DECISION MAKING

How It Works

Good decisions require accurately processed information. Technology has made getting information easy. Computers crunch data and give it to us in digestible bits, but the human mind must still analyze that data and make the decisions. The writer of Proverbs knew that people must make good decisions, so he urges us to attain wisdom and mental discipline and to understand words of insight.

A leader must develop a disciplined and prudent character so that they will do what is right, just and fair. The rub comes when the leader doesn’t know what is right, just and fair—or when any conceivable decision appears unjust, wrong and unfair. That’s why the unsophisticated need prudence. The young need knowledge and discretion. In fact, everyone needs to foster learning and seek guidance on a daily basis.

Proverbs isn’t a decision-making textbook, but this wisdom-packed book is God’s gift to help us to make the best decisions possible. Proverbs 1:1–6 informs us that the proverbs to follow will help the reader to develop the requisite mental sharpness to process complex information. Even though technology helps us to gather and manipulate information, a sharp mind must still apply solid logic to that information in order to make good decisions. The proverbs help us to accomplish this goal in a godly manner. They sharpen the mind and reveal God’s insight to ensure that our decisions may be in sync with his eternal perspective.

Read these verses again, this time including verse 7. Then study Proverbs as a foundation for exceptional decision making.

Proverbs 1:1-7 1The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction,to understand words of insight,3to receive instruction in wise dealing,in righteousness, justice, and equity;4 to give prudence to the simple,knowledge and discretion to the youth—5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,and the one who understands obtain guidance,6 to understand a proverb and a saying,the words of the wise and their riddles.7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;fools despise wisdom and instruction.