This is Part 1 of 2 parts addressing the foolish behavior of shyness. Part 2 will be posted tomorrow.

Children must be taught the holiness of God. They are not born with it. I was not and you were not either. We all have to learn how to behave before the holiness of God. Yet people often want to make excuses for not raising their children to the holiness of God. One example is when their children are “shy.” Shyness is not something “cute.”  It is a childish behavior that should be patiently, lovingly and deliberately trained out of the child. What should a parent do?

When parents with children are in public and another adult approaches them who greets the whole family, including the children, children will often turn aside or walk behind the parent’s leg. The typical parental response is, “I guess Suzy is just being shy,” or, “Suzy is shy.” Suzy may be shy. She may be childish. She may not have learned how to act godly when relating to other people. And certainly there is a certain element of concern if the adult is unknown. However, if the adult is well-known and the child still chooses to act with shyness, then the parents have a godly responsibility to help their child learn godly behavior rather than act with sinful, foolish behavior. If the parents do not disciple their children, then they are the ones with sinful, foolish behavior. Scripture teaches, “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Pro. 22:6 NKJ) How does a parent do that?

First, accept your responsibility before God to lead your child to the holiness of God. Scripture states,

6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.⁹ “You shall write them on the doorposts of y our house and on your gates. (Deut. 6:6-9 NKJ; cf. Eph. 6:4)

Secondly, prepare yourself to learn your responsibility, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15 NKJ) That means learning God’s Word, especially related to parenting. That means getting in a good Bible teaching church, which leads people to the holiness of God and in discipleship. That means following through with Divine responsibility. That means humbling yourself to ask for help from others to do what is right.

Part 2 will follow tomorrow. The first two principles are essential for the parent. The following principles are how to help your child learn to live according to the holiness of God and avoid shyness.