There is a definite time for training, especially when a child is young and has no knowledge of godly ways. But as a child grows, our training looks different. It’s a lifelong process for the child and the parent. In each of my four children, this trajectory was different. My husband and I modeled a godly lifestyle, but each child chose to follow God at different ages and stages.
There is sometimes a waiting period between training our children in the way they should go and their being older, not departing from it. Sometimes, the hardest part for us parents is the time in between. It is in this stage that praying may be the most important training we can employ.
6. Proverbs 22:6 Is Wisdom, Not a Formula
After our training, the choice to follow God is up to our children. There is a point when a child becomes an adult and makes choices for themselves. As Paul said, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, but when I became an adult, I put away childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11). The influence of training a child in God’s Word may seem to disappear from a child’s life, depending on their choices. But the Word of God is always at work in each person.
“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:11
As parents, we don’t know when a child will choose not to depart from the godly training we taught and modeled. They may never stray too far from it, or God may use circumstances to bring them to Himself.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Roberto Nickson
