Wednesday, July 16, 2014
JULY REVIVAL PROMO
TEXT: PROVERBS 22:1-15
Key verse: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
One area in which many Christian parents have failed woefully today is child training. For such parents, once enough money and materials have been provided for the comfort of their child, they feel their work is done. The import of early godly upbringing dawns on them only when they begin to reap the bitter fruits of their failure. Child training must be timely and deliberate. William Gurnall captured the essence when he observed that the difference between religion and atheism is that “religion doth not grow without planting, but will die even where it is planted without watering. Atheism, irreligion, and profaneness are weeds that will grow without setting, but they will not die without plucking up.”
Sundry lessons are found in our text, including the inestimable value of good reputation, the equality of men – rich or poor, the virtues of prudence etc. But verse 6 holds the key to all these. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” implies that parents and children handlers have ample duty and privilege of moulding the character of the child in such a godly way that it becomes near impossible for them to change at adulthood.
Such training begins with the trainer. The trainer must be living above board – living out what he/she advocates. No amount of pious instructions will produce a godly child if the instructor is not living righteously. Again, parents must decide on the right goal and exercise love and firmness in nudging the child to it. Note that it is “in the way he should go” and not “in the way he wants to go.” Good behaviour should be rewarded and bad conduct reprimanded.
The world is already smarting from the effects of the neglect of this most important duty. You can help make a difference today by lending a godly helping hand in the training of the children within the sphere of your influence.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Model the life you want in your children.
Higher Everyday for Youths - Link: http://highereveryday.dclmhq.org/
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