Train Up a Child

A great amount of parental guilt has been fueled by taking the words of Proverbs 22:6 as a promise: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when is old he will not turn from it.” The first half of that Proverb includes an imperative that we must follow. The responsibility we have to nurture our children in the faith is non-negotiable. But the result mentioned in the second half isn’t a guarantee. Rather, it’s a general statement about the way things may end up. The reality is that history and the world around us are filled with examples of wonderful, committed, diligent Godly parents whose first priority in life has been to train up their children in the way they should go, only to see some of those children choose to go in the opposite direction. What we can’t forget is that ultimately, it is God’s Spirit that brings about the change in our child’s heart. We have no clue when that change may come. Our duty is to remain faithful and obedient in our calling as followers of Jesus.