Training Up a Child

Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when he is old he will not depart from it

Proverbs 22:6

Proverbs are not promises.  A promise is a guarantee that something is going to happen or be done by the promise maker.  There are wonderful promises in the Bible, such as John 1:12: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”  This is a great promise!  To everyone who trusts in the name of Jesus Christ they are made children of God.  Proverbs, however, differ in that they are not promises but observations about how God designed the world in more general terms.  This is important because there are many who wonder how their children depart from the faith and the way in which they were raised.  While this is not a guarantee, it is a very important principle in parenting.  As we train up our children we are constantly training them, disciplining them and hoping to see them equipped to live a good and constructive life.  This however, is all second to training children up to see and know the Lord.  Giving our children the tools which they need to grow in Christ is the most important thing to instill in them and earlier is always better than later!