My wife and I are outgoing people. We like to be spontaneous in our dating whether we decide to travel to see a play, catch a museum, or just leave town. Fortunately, we have had the privledge to do these things and more. But once you become a new parent (of an awesome 8 month old son), things begin to change. The priorities are different. The life you once enjoyed is put aside and replaced with the new life of your child. So in leading our children, we have to take a back seat in our own lives to focus on them. Webster defines train as to make skillfull or proficient; teach; undergo a course of instruction. I like this word because by definition it requires my hands-on involvement with our child's growth. It's more than just giving information out and holding him accountable to it. My instruction has to match my lifestyle in order to be made clear. In the New Testament, the Pharisees suppressed this principle by not practicing what they preached (Matt. 23:1-3; Lk. 10:25-29). Paul calls this breed of people "hypocrites." (Rom. 2:21-24) His view, on the other hand, was more of "leading by example" in instructing the saints in Corinth to imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). So Paul is diving in with hands-on training in addition to his verbal teaching and accountability. This proverb also says, "in the way he should go" which would involve some direction. God is a general term that can mean anyone or anything. Our country is not like a lot of foreign countries whose government is married to the dominant religion. Many foreign countries are strictly monothestic and will kill to protect their faith. The U.S. is open-game polytheism. Anyone who is a citizen can practice the religion of their choice which is a protected right in our Constitution. It is important that children know the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and become trained in the direction of His ways. Take a stand in the presence of your children of who God truly is and that He is the only god worshipped in your household (Josh. 24:15). Create provisions for them to develop. Provide incentives as encouragement and give them every opportunity possible to be successful for God and for themselves (2 Cor. 12:14). In doing this, at least they may see for themselves a blueprint of how to perform as a (for my son) a young man of God.
1) Are you specific with your children of the God you serve?
2) Is your teaching "hands-on" or just verbal?
3) Are you giving your children every opportunity you can for them to be successful?
Lord, thank you for blessing my wife and I with a healthy, wonderful son. Help me as he starts to get older and understand things to have the energy and wisdom to train him in Your ways by using my own life example. Amen
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