When I think of the word training a multitude of things come to mind. I owned a business for several years and training was important. The problem with training is that we do it all the time whether intentional or unintentional. If you specifically train an employee to make a sandwich a certain way but don’t make it that way yourself, then you are giving a mixed message. There is a very good chance they will not make it the way you trained but will change it to fit their likes, just like you did. We are always training. It is the act of teaching someone how to do something. Whatever you do serves as a training episode to all those who are watching.
In the Bible, parents are told to train their children. They are also given the direction of that training. It is to be the type of training that would lead them in the way they should go. The direction is to be toward God. It is a tall task and a great responsibility for any parent. When we consider the fact, that we ourselves are flawed individuals, it makes it difficult to make sure we are training them the right way. However, we have a great instruction manual, the Bible.
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
So, how do we master this great task? Well, I don’t know if we can master it, because every child is different, and each requires a few tweaks here and there. However, God does give us a pattern to go by and a promise if we follow. Let me also remind you that there are no perfect parents because there are no perfect people. We will all make mistakes as we train our children. The goal is to minimize our mistakes and learn from them.
In Deuteronomy 6:1-7 God gives instructions to us on what to teach our children and how. Today we will explore the “what” of the training process.
Deuteronomy 6:1 “Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:”
What are we to teach them? We are to teach them the commandments, the principles, and the judgments of God’s word. We are to teach them to fear God, to have a healthy respect and reverence for him. We are not only to teach our children, but teach them in such a way they will pass it on to their children.
This diligent teaching will also increase their length of life. I strongly believe that God has a set time for each of us to live, but we can shorten that by disobeying God. None of us knows what that timeframe may be. But, whatever it is. a day, 10 years, 20, or 100, we have a part in prolonging it.
Deuteronomy 6:2 “That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.”
We are to teach them, according to verse 4, that He is the only God. This was a command! It may seem a bit out of place, after all, the Jews were God’s chosen people. The stories from grandparents alone should have caused them to realize their God was the only true God. Yet, God continues to give the admonition to “Hear.” He’s saying listen up, get this. I AM GOD! Teach your children this. The influence of the world was just as bad and just as forceful as it is today.
The false gods of today may be different than they were then but they are still with us. If you worshiped a false god then, it was pretty obvious. There were external objects to show your religion. Now, we have many false gods, but we rename them as work, entertainment, or things. We even call our sins diseases. We use medications to cope with our sins, rather than following God’s instructions and getting rid of the sin. Anything that takes our attention away from God can become a god.
Deuteronomy 6:3-4 “Hear, therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”
He then proceeds to tell them to teach them to love Him with all their heart! The “what” is to love him supremely. Nothing takes His place and anything that attempts to should be put away.
Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
The “what” of verses 6 and 7 are to be placed in their heart. You teach the “what” from the time they are born until you yourself pass from this earth. Even then you will be teaching as they recall the memories of your life. The “what” is the words of God. To teach the “what” you must study for yourself. You must know what God commands of you before you can instruct your children. It’s not enough to raise good kids, God expects us to raise godly kids.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
The most important job you will ever have is the influence you have on your children. Tomorrow we will deal with the “how” of training a child according to the Bible.
