Train Up A Child

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."  (Proverbs 22:6) 

What does it mean to train up a child in the way he should go? The definition of “train” is: “to develop or form the habits, thoughts,or behavior of (a child or other person) by discipline and instruction.”  What is the "way he should go"?  The way he should go is God's way.  As parents, we are to train our children to go God's way.  What a responsibility and yet potentially rewarding task!  

In looking for help with training our boys in God's ways and in practical ways at home, we have looked to scripture.  There are many Bible verses about children, how to train them, and what blessings they are: Deuteronomy 11:19, Deuteronomy 4:9, Proverbs 1:8-9, Proverbs 29:17, Ephesians 6:4, Deuteronomy 6:7, Proverbs 22:6, Luke 18:15-17, Mark 10:13-16, 2 Timothy 3:14-15, Psalm 127:3-5, just to name a few.  (See below to read all scriptures)

As homeschoolers, we have an opportunity to teach our boys all day long in God's ways.  This has proved to be one of the biggest blessings we have.  When we first began our homeschooling journey in 2011, we used a charter school for one school year.  This was the kick start we needed to get our feet wet and propel us on to discovering all of the benefits that homeschooling has to offer.  We are now our own private school, and with that comes flexibility we wouldn't have otherwise had with curriculum and with training the boys the way we feel God is having us do.  There are days we skip the day’s schoolwork to dig deeper into the Bible, or to focus on the Bible topic our curriculum has us learning right now.  My boys tend to learn the best when we can learn about what interests them at that moment, not when the curriculum dictates what we should learn and when.  This is especially true of Bible topics.  The most important thing we can teach our children is about God.  While we are a blessed nation where our children are able to learn, read, and write, we are even more blessed that we can learn, read, write, and study freely about our God.  And to us, that is far more important than traditional education. 

In Deuteronomy 6:7, God says, "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."  In context, this scripture was speaking of the Ten Commandments.  But along with the Ten Commandments (which is one of many scriptures we are memorizing this school year), we include all topics of the Bible.  We read straight from the Bible together and discuss what we read, we have family conversations about God's principles, his love, his forgiveness, his laws, his protection, his disciplines and promises.  We put scripture up and around our house, we talk in the car together about God, we worship together, we listen to Christian audio books that encourage godly character, the boys get one-on-one time with their dad who encourages and trains them in God's word, we pray together through the day and again at night about the things that we've discussed through the day, we memorize scriptures as part of our schoolwork, we study the scripture together, and we stop and make time for questions as they arise.

We don’t rely on programs, or even Sunday School, or church to teach and train them the fundamentals of what they should know.  These things come from our home as we have the responsibility and privilege to teach and train our kids first and foremost about God, as the Bible tells us to.  All else we consider supplementary and the “icing on the cake.”

These suggestions are not a complete, all-encompassing list of what we feel we should be doing.  It’s just a beginning of where God has brought us and where he’s taking us on our family journey of being closer with him.  We are doing our best to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4) and do our best not to “hinder the little children” to go to Christ (Luke 18:15-17), but instead provide as much opportunity for them to drink deeply of our Savior. 

And while I realize I've listed the things we do together, the biggest and most important thing is for our kids to see God's work in action, through us as their parents.  They watch what we do.  In school, they learn from seeing how to do a task or problem.  And in the same way, they watch how we, as their parents, act and behave spiritually, too.  Do they see us worshiping?  Do they see us praying?  Do they see us reading our Bible?  Do they see us reaching out to others?  I'm reminded of the saying, "Monkey see, monkey do."  

We have much to learn, but we’re open and willing for God to guide us and our young boys to him!  

You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

(Deuteronomy 11:19 ESV)

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children–
(Deuteronomy 4:9 ESV)

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
(Proverbs 1:8-9 ESV)

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
(Proverbs 29:17 ESV)

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
(Ephesians 6:4 ESV)

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
(Deuteronomy 6:7 ESV)

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
(Proverbs 22:6 ESV)

Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
(Luke 18:15-17 ESV)

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
(Mark 10:13-16 ESV)

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 3:14-15 Holy Bible ESV)

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
(Psalms 127:3-5 ESV)