The summer has added inches. August store ads claim the best of deals. When growing children head back to school, they often leave the house that first exciting day wearing brand-new clothes.

But are they wearing a garland—a wreath—on their heads? Is the decorative chain around their necks? Do they travel from home to classroom wearing an education they have been receiving every day?

Dressing a child spiritually

Fathers fill hours throwing a baseball to their sons. Mothers work for months to help their daughters master a craft. Parents spend years drilling spelling words. Parents are teachers. But athletics, artistry, and academics are not the first things on Solomon’s mind as he speaks a proverb about a garland and a chain.

Solomon was well aware that the greatest threats to children are not striking out on a ball diamond, coloring outside the lines, or mixing up letters on a spelling test. The Holy Spirit, speaking through Solomon, was concerned about sin, about temptation, about peer pressure, about that eternal danger even the youngest face. So Solomon invites children to dress themselves in the words of their parents.

Parents might not always be proud of the words they have shared with their children. Parents may also be ashamed when recalling words they didn’t share, words that Solomon encourages—instruction in the fear of the Lord.

Has each father seen the spiritual training of his children as his primary responsibility? Or can athletic success catch more attention than the need to share forgiveness and the love of Jesus with young souls? Have mothers looked for teaching moments, occasions for the Holy Spirit to touch tiny hearts? Or is it too easy to get frustrated with the press of responsibility that they have concluded there is little, if any, time for such instruction? Have Christian friends found opportunity to support families in making the Word of God key at home, or might we all confess that it is a struggle to keep priorities straight in our own lives, much less offer encouragement to others?

We confess our failings. So easily we all can permit the fear of the Lord to drift into the background.

Clothing of eternal worth

How comforting it is to know that the perfect “parent,” our heavenly Father, invites us to pray, “Forgive us.” What a miracle that he assures, “All is well.” Through Jesus Christ, his perfect Son, we have our pasts, presents, and futures wiped clean.

This good news puts Solomon’s encouragement in a beautiful light. For you to make the spiritual teaching of children a personal priority is to be able to say, “Children, fear the Lord—have an awe-filled admiration for his amazing love!”