Why do my parents tell me, "Don’t talk to strangers?"
Here's the answer:
Your parents love you and they know that there are people in the world who might try to hurt you. Your parents want to protect you. That’s why they say, "Don’t talk to strangers."
Many people are very nice and we always want to be respectful to others. However, there are some people who only "act" nice, but they really are very bad. Since a "stranger" is someone we do not know, it is sometimes hard for us to know the difference between acting nice and being nice. That is why our parents are careful for us. That care is in obedience to God’s commandment to "nurture" us. The Bible tells us to "obey our parents," which is the right thing to do. The reason? So that it is "well" with us and that we may live long, healthy safe lives on this earth.
The word "nurture" has a really neat meaning. It means to love, take care of, to teach, and to protect. When we plant a seed, we provide for its welfare. We water the seed, we feed it and we protect it when it is young so that it will grow strong and produce good things. This is what our parents do for us, they nurture us so that we are protected and learn to grow up strong to do good things and be able to tell the difference between what is good for us and what is bad. So, we obey our parents and we do not talk to strangers, even if they look and seem like the nicest of people.
Bible Truth
"Children, obey your parents as believers in the Lord. Obey them because it’s the right thing to do. Scripture says, 'Honor your father and mother.' That is the first commandment that has a promise. 'Then things will go well with you. You will live a long time on the earth.' Fathers, don’t make your children angry. Instead, instruct them and teach them the ways of the Lord as you raise them" (Ephesians 6:1-4).
"Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby. That person does not want to learn about living a godly life. Solid food is for those who are grown up. They have trained themselves to tell the difference between good and evil. That shows they have grown up" (Hebrews 5:13-14).
