Verse of the Day - Proverbs 22:6

Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it. ~ Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)

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...one of the most quoted verses in the Bible by parents, don't you think? And it's quoted by those dealing with straying kids, or their friends and family, right? I memorized it this way...train up a child in the way he should go, and when he's old, he will not depart from it...you may have, too.

And we cling to this verse as a promise when our kids question their faith, when they do stupid stuff and make a mess out of their lives, when they live their lives completely contrary to God's word. But is this a promise, or a premise? They're very different, you know.

I have heard pastors say that the Proverbs are wise sayings but not hard-and-fast promises. These words of wisdom usually bear out, but not always. And if you have a wayward child in your life right now, that's probably not what you want to hear. Sorry.

But if you look back at your own life and the lives of many others and listen to testimony over and over again, you'll see and hear that this premise usually does bear out. When we are instructed in the ways of the Lord, we usually do return to it. The phrase when he is old is different for every person, but most seem to wake up to their senses and recognize God's truth eventually.

But for parents, grandparents and beloved family members, the waiting can seem interminable, huh? How long, oh Lord, how long? A day of a child's rebellion and unbelief can seem like 1,000 years to an adult who loves them. We want them on the right track, and we want it NOW! Unfortunately, we just don't know our kids like God does. He knows exactly what our kids need to get to the place of knowledge and understanding. He knows what they need to get to the place of repentance and submission. Us "beating" it into them once they've taken the side roads usually backfires, doesn't it?

Our job is to teach them when they're young, to read God's word to them and live it in front of them. When they reach their teenage years, they may sail through on the sea of faith...and they may shipwreck on the rocks of rebellion. At that point, I urge you to love them. Love them and pray. Allow God to deal with them, because like the old TV show, "Father knows best". Continue to live out God's word in front of them, but resist the urge to beat the Word of God into their pores. They have to test God's Word for themselves. They have to test themselves. They have to test. Let them test without trying to rescue them out of it. But love them through it. Always love them through it.

BTW, God knows what parents go through, too...'cause we're so often just like rebellious teenagers, aren't we? Does he rescue us out of our rebelliousness when we make a mess of things? Or does He let us feel the truth of His Word and love us through it? You know the answer to that, as well as I do.

I pray God's strength and peace to all who are working through the challenges of raising children. Please know that God is in control, and that children have a choice. They must make it for themselves, and you can't force the issue. Teach them the truth, and let God be their personal trainer. Trust Him even when your kids fall on their faces in the mud. Because getting dirty is often part of the process of understanding how to avoid the mud pits of life and the value of listening to the wisdom of your personal trainer.

Love,
Joelene