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Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins
"...In The Way He Should Go"
What a wonderful blessing God has given us in our children! What a great gift they are, and what a magnificent challenge they are to us, an opportunity to fling our influence far into the future. In Psalm 78:5-6 we read a mandate for parents to teach their children the law of God:
“He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them. “
Paul’s exhortation to children to “obey your parents,” Ephesians 6:1, completes the circle of responsibility for children and parents. Parents must teach; children must obey.
But that is not all the Bible says on this subject. Children’s obedience must be “in the Lord,” Ephesians 6:1, but parents are taught to take into consideration their children’s temperament and interests as well. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it,” Proverbs 22:6.
Certainly, we should teach our children God’s law, the Gospel, the ethics that emanate therein—that point is established in many places. This context says that in our instruction, we are to train him “in the way he should go.” But what does that mean? Guy Woods writes:
The Hebrew phrase from which come the words “in the way he should go,” means “according to the tenor of his way,” that is, in harmony with his disposition, his natural talents, his individual character. Taught here is the obligation of parents to study the nature and disposition of their children and train them accordingly.
We know of God’s demand that we teach our children God’s truth, but this text says that how we teach and what we teach should include not only the truths God has revealed but also how best to teach and admonish each individual child in those truths.
Not every young boy should be told he must be a preacher, or a doctor, or an engineer. We realize that each child is different—even in the same family. They have varied interests and skills, and those traits should be in our hearts as we teach them to be true to God, true to the Gospel and true to themselves.
I recently read a “parable” that illustrates this principle:
Children Aren’t All Alike
Once upon a time there lived a master gardener, and many people came to work with him, then went off to start gardens of their own. He believed everyone would want to be a gardener, but, alas neither his son nor his daughter showed the slightest interest. In fact, the more he boosted gardening, the more his children resisted.
One day the gardener’s wife gave him some seedlings to plant. He became very irritated because they grew so slowly. Sometimes he would pull on them so that they would get the idea, although he always taught his gardening students not to do that.
One morning his wife called him over to inspect the new plants more closely, and he saw that indeed each was delicately formed and quite lovely except for the bruised places where he had pulled on them. "They are not like I wanted them to be," he said to his wife. "I guess they decided to be themselves," his wife answered, "Children aren’t all alike either," she added.
How can we encourage our children to prosper, to grow, to use their skills to the fullest, and to “be themselves,” yet still completely committed to Christ?
- Parents must talk to their children about their faith and how that faith is to be reflected in their daily lives. This is a subject with which both parent and child must be comfortable.
- Our children must be able to talk to us about their interests without fear of censure. If he wants to be a firefighter, let him talk about it. If she wants to be an airline pilot, let her say so. Build a relationship in which your input is sought after, and then give it. They may change their mind, but they should be able to talk to you.
- Encourage them to research and find out what preparation is required, including the pros and cons for their desired occupation.
- Teach them the difference between their life’s work and their life’s commitment. They should know early that being a Christian, first of all, must be their true vocation in life.
- Teach them the virtue of hard work, honesty, diligence, loyalty to their employer, dependability and trust. This enables them to be an asset in whatever work they choose.
- Make it clear that there are some forms of employment that are not in harmony with God’s Word, and should not be considered.
- Allow them to fail at some efforts, thus learning the consequences of their decisions. But be fair, objective, open to their dreams. Remember, time and opportunity can change your mind as well as theirs.
Parents—get ready—your children will be a real joy to you if you help them prepare for this life and for eternity. It will be worth it!
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“The potential possibilities of any child are the most intriguing and stimulating in all creation.”
“Let the child’s first lesson be obedience, and the second will be as you will.”
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