Day 187, or July 6. Preparation for the future.
Our thoughts today are rooted in Proverbs chapter 22 verse 6. Start children off on
the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.
First the big picture surrounding this verse. We come to the end of the second section of
Solomon's Proverbs with chapters 22 to 24. Possibly some of the most misunderstood and
often misquoted words come from these Proverbs about the raising of children. Even in Solomon's
days children misbehaved, and when you consider there were folk who actually offered their
children as sacrifices to pagan gods, all the disciplining advice seems very gentle.
This strategy is long-term. It is foundational, not reactionary. Children are not possessions
but individuals who are loved by God and who God trusts us to raise to the best of our
ability, with His help.
And now our action step for today. We cannot live our children's lives for them. Actually
most of us have made so many mistakes in our own lives that we would probably not fare
much better if we were given a second chance. Our proverb today reminds us that we are responsible
to ground our children in godly ways, and then release them into God's care to live
their own lives. You can't start too early to do this by setting the best example and
guiding them with love and gentle godly discipline. There comes a time, however, when our sons
and daughters are no longer children and we have to allow them to make mistakes, in the
meantime faithfully praying for them and trusting that God will continue to work in their lives.
God's Word tells us that they will not turn away from the example and foundation we laid
for them, however inadequate it was. It does not say that if we do a good job they will
never wander, but it does encourage us to do the best job we can and then trust God
to honour our efforts as our children grow into adults.