“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)
As parents, we are responsible for preparing our children for the future. They are our blessing from God (Psalm 127:3), and part of our stewardship over their lives includes our responsibility to guide them spiritually and our duty to mould them so that they can fulfill their God-given purpose.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon us as parents to take the time to sit with our children and train them (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) so that we can teach them God’s Word and help them build their personal relationship with Him. It also means we take the time to know our children so that we can recognise the giftings that God has placed within them and nurture it. They are never too young to be used by God (Matthew 19:14).
When the truth of Christ is rooted in a child’s heart at a young age, it lays a foundation for their actions when they are older. It is what their morals and values will stem from. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Apostle Paul highly praised Timothy for his genuine faith. In doing so, he also called to remembrance the faith that was in both Timothy’s mother and grandmother. Their faith in God as a family transcended generations. It allowed Timothy to be a strong and faithful servant in God’s kingdom, bearing much fruit.
This is what God requires from us when He entrusts children into our hands, and we must aspire to do our best as parents so they, too, can be grounded and walk in their own divine purpose.
Prayer
Father, we thank You for our children. We thank You for blessing us with the opportunity to love and raise them. Even now, we ask that by Your Holy Spirit, You will empower us to raise them in Your ways, so that they fulfil purpose and glorify Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Read: Psalm 73:26; Colossians 4:2
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 20:25-30; Proverbs 21:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Chronicles 21:4-20; 2 Chronicles 22; 2 Chronicles 23