Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
Some mornings can be tough. My son was woken up too early this morning by his older brother (who’s now back asleep), but my son has difficulty sleeping once he’s awake. It’s easy to just throw them in front of the television so I can get things accomplished and continue with my morning routine, but this morning the Lord asked me, “What habits are you helping them form?” So, I skipped the convenience and left the television off.
Rather than keeping him out of my routine, I brought him into it. I made him “coffee”, gave him a children’s Bible to read, and we sat at the table together. I paid closer attention to him this morning than I normally do. I saw the way he would drink as I drank, he would see me reading and pretend to read. As I leaned on the table with one arm, he mimicked me.
We are to train up our children in righteousness, but this is more than “do as I say”. It’s through action and example, not simply voicing our commands, that our children learn the right way to live. Our children are watching us closely, what example are we setting for them? Are we truly the ones raising our children, or is it their entertainment, their teachers, their friends?
Stewardship starts in the home, and it pains me to think of the example I unknowingly set for my children somedays. Our speech, actions, attitude, and beliefs are teaching our children more than we may realize. The Lord desires godly offspring, children that seek Him out and desire His presence, that’s why He created man and woman to be one (Mal. 2:15).
#calledtobattle
