TRAIN

“TRAIN up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it” – Proverbs 22:6

The fifth key to Order in the Family is child TRAINING (Pro.22:6). Ephesians 6:4 admonishes parents to not provoke their children to wrath, but “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph.6:4b). Every child is a blessing to the family that adds cheer and color to the marriage union, as a unique blend of husband and wife: “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is His reward” (Psa.127:3). Instead of planting bitterness in them, parents must aim to train their children in the “instruction of the Lord,” treating them as God would treat them. In a sense, they are not ours; they are God’s and we are just stewards of them. We must be faithful stewards who can encourage them in fulfilling God’s plans for their lives. No child is an accident of procreation; they are gifts from God! Good and godly children are raised by God's truth: children who know the principles of good living but also know God Himself; who have love and passion for God that overflows in a love for humankind.

God’s purpose for giving children surpasses replenishing and populating the earth; “…He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth” (Mal.2:15b). Some people accumulate wealth and material possessions as an inheritance for their children. But the greatest inheritance you can leave behind for your children is good Christian upbringing. Children are soft, pliable and mouldable; they must be moulded skilfully and tenderly to become battle axes in God’s hands. The best environment to raise a godly seed to the Lord is the home. To succeed in your responsibility towards your children, you must create time and seize opportunities to open up the scriptures and minister to them at their level of understanding. When they leave home and are in places where you as a parent cannot be physically, the fear of the Lord and knowledge of His Word implanted in their hearts will keep them intact.

It is the covenant responsibility of both parents to train up their children in the fear of the Lord. To train means “to mould the character, to instruct by exercise, drill, make obedient, to put or point in an exact direction, to prepare for a contest.” God does not take lightly the issue of child training. He says, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Dt.6:7). There is no better person to train your child like you. You must not shift this responsibility to secular school or Sunday school teachers. Each child has peculiar spiritual, emotional, and physical needs, and the time you invest in meeting these cannot be in vain. Examples abound in the Bible of people who invested in their children: Abraham and Sarah (Gen.18:17-19); Moses’ mother, Jochebed (Exo.6:20), Jonadab, the father of the Rechabites (Jer.35:2-17), and Timothy’s grandmother and mother – Lois and Eunice (2Tim.1:5).

As we fulfil our covenant obligations to train these precious gifts, they shall give us great peace (Isa.54:13). They shall also operate as signs and wonders upon the earth: “Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion” (Isa.8:18). Wise and proper parenting role will produce children who are arrows in the hand of the Lord; who will challenge the enemy at the gate (Psa.127:4-5): Our goals for them must go far beyond what we can do in our own strength, which only feeds our pride. We must train them to trust God and live supernatural lives of walking in His Spirit. It is high time to change the course of history through our families. God can do great and mighty things through willing families that live by His great and glorious principles, promises and purposes.