"And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided." I Chron. 29:19

Most people today think of two Bible stories about King David: his triumph in battle over Goliath when he was a mere shepherd and his moral failure involving Bathsheba when he was King of Israel. But David was so much more than the dichotomy these two stories represent. He was a man after God's own heart (I Samuel 13:14). He recognized the Lord as the source of everything he had, and therefore he was generous.

Parents today can learn a lot from David.

First, David was generous with his prayers for his children. David asked God continually to bless his children. He wanted his son, Solomon, to stay true to the Lord with a wholehearted devotion. He frequently blessed his children while in their presence, asking the Lord to be with them, to give courage and strength, discretion and understanding, and a willing mind (I Chron. 22:11-13; 28:9). As a parent, we should pray for our children every day, but we shouldn't stop there. We should pray generously for ourselves, that we'd be the parents God would have us to be, worthy of the high calling and responsibility of parenthood.

Second, David was generous with his provisions for his children. I Chronicles 22 tells us David made extensive preparations before his death (v. 5). He knew he wouldn't be around forever, and he wanted to ensure the success Solomon would have in building the temple. The Lord could have waited to give Solomon the plans for the temple directly, but he gave them to David, who wrote them down and explained them to his son. David was expected to provide for Solomon in his youth, and he did. He supplied money, craftsmen, materials, and specific instructions. We need to provide for our children, but provision goes beyond wealth. Education, healthy nutrition, good habits, and quality time with loving parents will serve them well in their futures.

Third, David was generous with his preparations for his children. He knew Solomon was young and inexperienced and that the task of building the temple was a great one (I Chron. 22:5; 29:1). Yet, David prepared Solomon for such an undertaking, enabling him to reach a potential Solomon probably hadn't even dreamed about. But his preparation went beyond his provisions in that he made sure Solomon was mentally and emotionally prepared for what laid ahead. As parents, it is our duty to see we prepare our children as best we can for a life when we will not be around to look over their shoulders. In the event sickness, death, or geographical location separates parents from their children, their kids would not only survive but thrive as independent adults leaning on the Lord.

Just as any other skill, autonomy is learned. Having faith in our children, valuing their opinion, having two-sided discussions with them about appropriate boundaries, rules and even punishments - this encouragement gives them confidence in themselves. We can tell them, "Be strong and do the work" (I Chron. 28:10) and they will, because they will believe they have the ability and wherewithal to accomplish great tasks with the Lord's help.

We should learn to think outside the almighty allowance dollar and be creative in finding ways to be generous to our children.

Jeannie Campbell is a Christ-follower, wife, mother and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, in that order. She got her masters of divinity in psychology and counseling from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and her bachelors in psychology and journalism from The University of Mississippi. She's a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and American Christian Fiction Writers. In her spare time, she writes feature articles for magazines and local newspapers and blog posts for The Character Therapist. She can be reached at charactertherapist@hotmail.com.