Proverbs 22:6—”Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
As a parent/adult, have you been through any or all of the situations: taught your child the how-tos for common daily tasks like brushing teeth; ensured that you read or had your ward read the bible before bedtime; heard your mom/dad’s words come out of your mouth when giving instructions?
Switch back a few years to when you were a child. Do you remember doing the following unconsciously: pause and wipe shoes on the doormat before entering a house; cover mouth when coughing; use the golden words – please, sorry and thank you? How do you think these things came about? Parents and adults want the best for their children. They help them learn things to be independent in every way. Values, ethics, integrity are all handed down through generations, even by example, to provide the child a foundation on which they can base their decisions, goals and other things in life.
In this passage, we are asked to ‘train children’ not spoil children, nor let them be trained. We actively train children this way because we love them. We must train our children in the way they ‘should go’, come what may. This training includes teaching people who have the spiritual level of a child. The Bible says that we must point our children in the right direction, in the knowledge of our Saviour, as soon as they can understand. By doing this, we ensure that they will not go their own way, or be misled, or lost when distractions come. They will be habituated to follow our Saviour in their daily walk of life and this will continue into their old age.
Father God, thank you for teaching us about training Your children. Lord, give us patience and wisdom. Teach us Your ways and give us Your peace. In Jesus name…Amen.
