Train Up a Child

Last week I volunteered in my grandson’s school library.  It was exciting to see how eager the kids were to find books.  Some even tired to check out more than the limit allowed.  It reminded me of how tender and fervent children are, and why Scripture says to “train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Parents have an awesome responsibility. God has given them the mandate to raise up Godly seed for Him.  It’s a hard road, with much against them; rewarding when accomplished, but disastrous when not. Even so, every parent is training up his child whether he knows it or not. And either that child will be for God or for the world.

The Bible tells us “that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more that lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:4) Wow! What a terrible description of the worldly character!

It breaks my heart to see young people today who are a product of a rudderless upbringing, sailing along with no direction or sure course.  They are told, either implicitly or indirectly by what they learn in their home, school, on T.V., in movies, or on the streets, that they have crawled out of the primordial ooze and are nothing special, that there is no God, that self is the only thing that matters. No wonder they are depressed. No wonder their character is warped. No wonder they do drugs or sex to find significance. It must make God weep to see such precious lives destroyed, such precious hearts yearning and yet not finding anything of value in this dark world.

But here’s the great thing about God.  He has a Father’s heart and is the God of second chances. There is a sizable revival going on among the youth today.  Many are world-weary and have tried it all and found nothing but emptiness. But oh, how God loves them! How He desires to fill them with Himself. And how able He is to restore the broken hearted.  But wouldn’t it be better if these children had not lost their way in the first place?

I pray a blessing on all parents (and grandparents, too) that they find the courage, grit, love and strength to stand for Godliness in their homes, and train up their children for the Lord.

Until next week,

Sylvia