Recently I wrote on the importance of leading your kids by instilling core values in them. It’s something every parent has to be intentional about. The classroom for this is simply everyday situations—seizing opportunities that present themselves to teach kids valuable life lessons.
Courtesy 123RF/Oksana Kuzmina
Leading your child is called training in the Bible. It is spoken of many times. One of my favorites comes from the book of Proverbs.
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Create A Craving In Your Child
The original Hebrew word for “train” means “to initiate; to create a taste for”. Actually, it refers to the palate—the roof—of your mouth. A Hebrew midwife would rub a bit of paste on a newborn’s palate to initiate a hunger, a nursing reflex.
In this context, we are encouraged to initiate a craving in our kids for God and His principles. We want to eventually transfer their dependence upon us to God. We do that by our example in loving Him with our whole heart and in the way we lead our families.
If you do that consistently, when they have leave the nest, you won’t have that worry that comes from wondering if you gave them what they needed.
Practical Training In Addition To Values
The book of Proverbs gives us a number of things that we are to make sure we train our kids to do.
- Manage money. (Pr. 3:9-10) So much of life involves money—how we earn it, share it, save it, spend it, invest it. Sadly, most receive no formal training in any of these things before they leave home. There’s no better place to learn than at home in everyday life.
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Carefully select their friends. (Pr. 13:20) Those we hang with have a tremendous influence on us. Kids need to learn to choose friendships that are mutually beneficial and help to bring out the best in each other.
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Watch their words. (Pr. 4:24) Words create and destroy. A wise person knows when to say nothing and how to choose words carefully when he does speak.
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Be responsible. (Pr. 6:6-8) We have too much entitlement today. Teach your child how to be responsible for their words, actions, property, and choices.
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Guard their minds. (Pr. 23:7) Garbage in; garbage out. Good things in; good things out. In addition to choosing friends wisely, a child must learn to choose carefully what he sees, hears, and gets involved with.
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Be generous. (Pr. 11: 25) Good things come to those who give and share. Set your child up in life by training him to practice generosity.
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Respect God. (Pr. 1:7) Our first obligation: to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength.
Be the parent. Lead your child. Train your child. God gave you the authority and the responsibility so He’ll give you the grace and wisdom to do so if you rely on His help.
Question: Which areas above have you been intentional about in child training? Is there any area listed above that you've felt inadequate in training your child? Share your answer in the comments below.