Modern Psychology vs Ancient Wisdom in Parenting

“If I were the devil trying to take over the world, I would substitute psychology for religion,” Paul Harvey stated in a 1965 radio broadcast. As a licensed mental health counselor, I love psychology and know, first hand, that it helps many people. However, I also think I know why Paul Harvey made this statement. At times, psychology can distract us from religion and the truth therein.

Last Friday, I was at a mom’s group listening to mothers fret about different discipline approaches they had tried without success. Discipline approaches they had learned from books written by counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists and doctors. I sympathized with them. In fact, just a few months ago I was feeling like a complete failure when it came to my son. He was exhibiting the three “d’s”—disrespect, disobedience and dishonesty. And it seemed there was nothing I could do to modify his behavior.

Finally, I shared my heart with two women in my life. They offered me sympathy and told me which Bible principles had worked for them and taught me how to apply them. My mother quoted several verses from Psalms and Proverbs regarding discipline. After several days of crying and feeling frustrated, I made some changes in how I was dealing with my son and finally had the breakthrough I so desperately needed.  

Rewind to the mom’s group. . .As I was listening to these women I had this thought: Why is it that so many of us (me included) turn to psychology for help in raising our children BEFORE we look to the Bible? Why do we look to doctors and mental health professionals before we seek advice from the godly women in our lives, specifically the older generations of women that have already successfully raised godly children? Why not seek God FIRST and then see what, if anything, psychology has to say about child rearing that lines up with the Bible?

Recently, I decided that from now on when faced with a parenting challenge, I will actually read what the Bible has to say about raising and disciplining my children before I order a parenting book from Amazon. I will try to discover what has worked for the mothers I admire most, including past generations.

Not all of us have a host of women we can turn to for parenting advice, but most of us have at least one. And we all have the Bible, as well as plenty of helpful Bible-based resources on parenting. I hope we will all be reminded to seek ancient wisdom before that of the latest parenting books, articles and trends the next time we need direction as a mom. Because the wisdom found in the Word is timeless.

How about you? Are you more inclined to look to psychology before the Bible when you need parenting advice? Do you seek the wisdom of your peers and elders, or just try to figure out everything on your own?

{Photo Credit: istockphoto}