Raising Children

Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 

What a wonderful promise from God's Word.  What a wonderful privilege we have of raising children.  One of the greatest blessings that God ever gave me was a wonderful son.  I know with the blessing comes great responsibility.  I have a God given duty to raise my son in the way he should go.  What is the way he should go?  He should have a desire to go God's way.  When my son was young I wanted to make absolutely sure he was in church.  I wanted him to learn as much Bible at church in Sunday school and in children's church as he could.  I reinforced that learning at home knowing that my child was born with a sinful, Adamic nature.  That sweet, curly headed little boy needed a Saviour, just like every other child born upon this earth since Adam's sin in the garden.  My child heard about Jesus at home and at church and the Holy Spirit of God softened his heart for the salvation message.  Thank God he trusted Christ at an early age.  Salvation is a jumping off point, not the absolute end result.  Once my child trusted Christ his walk with God had just began.   I realized that I had the duty of modeling the Christian walk before my child.  My child watches and learns from me and his walk with God will be a reflection of my walk with God.  What an incredible responsibility that entails.  The Bible teaches that we are to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  They are to understand who God is and that we should fear the Lord.  The Bible says that if we will train them they will not depart from their training.  I've seen young people raised in the church that make bad decisions and wandered away from God, but after some time passed and the Holy Spirit dealt with their heart they came back around.  They reverted back to the training they had received as young people in the church.  

How do we raise children that will walk with God?  We train them in the Word of God and model the Christian life before them.