Train a Child in the Way He Should Go
"Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
" (Proverbs 22:6).
This seems like a pretty straight-forward verse.
While it is true that there is only right and wrong, righteous and unrighteous, black and white, this verse could have a slightly deeper meaning.
The expression, "in the way he should go" in Hebrew, (al-pi darko) can be rendered "according to his way".
You may be thinking that surely that could not be true.
If we let our children go "according to his way", they would have chocolate cake for breakfast, wear the same clothes for days and never take a bath! Just as God knows the number of hairs on our head and the number of days of our earthly lives, He also knew us before we were born.
Look around you.
Do you know two people that have exactly the same likes and dislikes, look exactly the same, or perform the same daily tasks or jobs in exactly the same way? I doubt it! That is because, just as God gives us our own unique fingerprints, He also kisses us with His intent for our lives, which is like no other.
We are all different and have different God-given abilities.
That is why God wants His children to work together as a family.
We are not all good at public speaking.
Not everyone enjoys going to the nursing home to visit the elderly.
Some of God's children have trouble turning on a stove, much less making a meal.
Hammer and nail-- some would wonder how they are used.
Is it not glorious when all of God's children work together to further God's kingdom? If one person had everything to do alone, it would most likely never get done and even if it did, quality would be lacking.
We are to help others and support each other according to our God-given abilities.
Turning back to Proverbs 22:6, can you see a deeper meaning for this verse? Of course, we are to teach our children right from wrong, holy versus evil, and the way of life through God's word.
Just as God formed each person in the womb and knew us before we were born, he also blessed us with His unique plan for our lives! When we think of it that way, it is easier to see that each individual was bent "according to his way".
Therefore, it makes perfect sense to seek out the unique abilities of each of our children.
What do they do best? What inspires them? What are their favorite things to do? If we want to prepare our children for the Lord's work, we have to look for and nurture those qualities that make them unique.
When my older girls were little, I just assumed that they would follow in my footsteps and be nurses.
When second oldest announced that she wanted to be a teacher, I just could not understand why she had chosen this profession.
It was only later that I realized how good my daughter would be at teaching and how miserable she would be in the medical field.
We, as parents, have a responsibility to our children to "teach them in the way they should go", to seek out their uniqueness and build on it so that they may find their "spot" in life.
In this way, they grow up with strong qualities in doing the things that God put them on this earth to do and they are happy doing it!
" (Proverbs 22:6).
This seems like a pretty straight-forward verse.
While it is true that there is only right and wrong, righteous and unrighteous, black and white, this verse could have a slightly deeper meaning.
The expression, "in the way he should go" in Hebrew, (al-pi darko) can be rendered "according to his way".
You may be thinking that surely that could not be true.
If we let our children go "according to his way", they would have chocolate cake for breakfast, wear the same clothes for days and never take a bath! Just as God knows the number of hairs on our head and the number of days of our earthly lives, He also knew us before we were born.
Look around you.
Do you know two people that have exactly the same likes and dislikes, look exactly the same, or perform the same daily tasks or jobs in exactly the same way? I doubt it! That is because, just as God gives us our own unique fingerprints, He also kisses us with His intent for our lives, which is like no other.
We are all different and have different God-given abilities.
That is why God wants His children to work together as a family.
We are not all good at public speaking.
Not everyone enjoys going to the nursing home to visit the elderly.
Some of God's children have trouble turning on a stove, much less making a meal.
Hammer and nail-- some would wonder how they are used.
Is it not glorious when all of God's children work together to further God's kingdom? If one person had everything to do alone, it would most likely never get done and even if it did, quality would be lacking.
We are to help others and support each other according to our God-given abilities.
Turning back to Proverbs 22:6, can you see a deeper meaning for this verse? Of course, we are to teach our children right from wrong, holy versus evil, and the way of life through God's word.
Just as God formed each person in the womb and knew us before we were born, he also blessed us with His unique plan for our lives! When we think of it that way, it is easier to see that each individual was bent "according to his way".
Therefore, it makes perfect sense to seek out the unique abilities of each of our children.
What do they do best? What inspires them? What are their favorite things to do? If we want to prepare our children for the Lord's work, we have to look for and nurture those qualities that make them unique.
When my older girls were little, I just assumed that they would follow in my footsteps and be nurses.
When second oldest announced that she wanted to be a teacher, I just could not understand why she had chosen this profession.
It was only later that I realized how good my daughter would be at teaching and how miserable she would be in the medical field.
We, as parents, have a responsibility to our children to "teach them in the way they should go", to seek out their uniqueness and build on it so that they may find their "spot" in life.
In this way, they grow up with strong qualities in doing the things that God put them on this earth to do and they are happy doing it!
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