Text: Proverbs 22:1-16
Theme: Train up a child
Greetings: The Lord is good and his love endures forever!
Illustration:
A child asked her mother during a dinner, mama is it good to eat flies?
Mother shouted at her, saying: I told you several times not to talk about ugly things when we eat. Child kept quiet.
After the dinner, on the bed, mother asked the child: Darling, you wanted ask something during dinner. What was that? The child replied, nothing mommy. Already problem is over.
But mother insisted to know it, so that the child would not be hurt. Then the child said, mama I asked whether good to eat flies because I saw a dead fly in your soup.
Now, I would like to bring a few thoughts from Proverbs 22. This chapter reveals how to train up our younger generation.
Proverbs 22:6 is the theme verse of this passage 22:1-16.
Train up:
KJV: Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
CEV: Teach your children right from wrong, and when they are grown they will still do right.
Darby: Train up the child according to the tenor of his way, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
ERV: Teach children in a way that fits their needs, and even when they are old, they will not leave the right path.
GNV: Teach a child in the trade of his way, and when he is old he shall not depart from it.
Train up the child from the beginning in the way of the Lord (Peshitta Bible).
Give her a good start to her life (Christian Standard Bible).
International Standard Bible: Train in an appropriate way to her.
Amplified: Train up to use their skills, abilities, and talents to fulfil the will of God.
Train them to use those possessed spiritual qualities very creatively for the benefit of others, and society, above all for personal gain.
I would like to leave with you to train up your children into three ways of life: The right way of Life, the Godly way of Life, and the last one is in the critical ways of life.
To begin with:
1. Train up in the Right Way of Life.
Familiarity of Good name and favour (v. 1), Respect all (v. 2), Friendships (v. 10-11,14 Friendship of enticers, entertainers). Faithfulness and Hard work (v.12-13).
Name is our identity and personality to others. Name carries all about us. Name brings to our mind about a persons habits, etiquette and response. The writer of this chapter feels that the Reputation and affection of others are desirable than riches.
A good name could be easily vanish if it’s not rooted in Christ and in his word. So, a good name is not what name we have and how we behave, and relate with people but how we maintain the intimacy with Christ.
A good name comes out of our behaviour in worst situations, how we are well composed in every given situation. Wisdom does not always engage in a fight. It is good to keep silent till evil and danger passes by.
It is greater than gold and silver. God is a respecter of no person. He treats everyone equally. We should do so. The beauty of the creation is Rich becomes poor and the poor becomes rich according to proper and improper use of the intelligence and skills. So train up the children to learn good habits.
Train up in her own way: Prof. Dr. Douglas Stuart, a Theologian, holds this view that the addition of the word “should” is not found in the original Hebrew. Without the “should” the nature of the verse changes. It’s more about allowing your children to go their own way, not the way you think that they “should” go. It means, their interest in, skills to develop, talents to use in. Don’t impose what you fail to achieve.
It’s about parents helping their children discover their purpose and path in life. Parents are in the unique role of helping children discover how God has equipped them and how they can use their gifts in a positive way as adults (ref:crosswalk.com).
So, Train up a child in his own trade of interest, train up in the skills what she possessed with, and even when he or she is old it will not depart from them.” Training is not disciplining but discipling. Training is shaping and modelling developing their inherent power and character.
Secondly,
2. Train up in the Godly way of life
Godly ways such as: Humility and fear of the Lord (v. 4), Stability in Guarding the conscience and Soul (v. 5), Surety and Integrity of Words (v. 12), Mobility in Smartness and use of wisdom (v. 13-15).
Kalpana Chawla: A lady who had became a symbol bravery to many Indian women on those days. Once A journalist asked her, what made her to desire to become an astronaut? She replied: “when I was a child I did not eat properly, my mom used to feed me showing the moon, and used to tell me if you eat today; tomorrow I will take you to moon. The desire had grown in me day after day, When I was grown up I decided to go to moon.”
We are called to train up our children with godly ways, with heavenly visions and values, and spiritual desires. Then we will see the result very astonishing and positive.
Humility is looking into and fear of the Lord is looking up to. It is said: “The most humble Christian is the most triumphant Christian” (Enduring Word Commentary).
God does not have grand Children. No one can be born as a Christian. Born as a fallen human being with original sin. Each child has to make a choice to follow God at different age and different stage.
Children left to their own way are not likely to change; they’ll become adults who go their own way, the ungodly way. So, teach them and train them up to be humble and live with the fear of the Lord.
Eli knew that his children were doing ungodly things but he never disciplined them (1 Samuel 2:12, 29). Why do you honour your children than me?
There is no shortcut for Training in godly way except through the spiritual exercises of prayer, reading scriptures, attending regular Sunday worships.
God had the confidence that Abraham would teach and train up his children and generations (For I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him – Genesis 18:19-NIV).
According to 2 Timothy 3:16 ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and given by divine inspiration and is profitable for instruction, for conviction of sin, for correction of error and restoration to obedience, for training in righteousness learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honourably with personal integrity and moral courage’ (Amplified).
When Samara, my grand daughter came to our home at Chennai, the first gift I gave her was “The Holy Bible”. She is so young, 3 months old, but listens to the reading of the scripture and offering the prayers, the we will play.
Bible has plenty of best examples: The parents took their children for Jesus to bless them (Matthew 19:13). Hanna left her child Samuel at the Temple to serve God and the Pastor (1 Samuel 1:28). Lois and Eunice trained their baby boy Timothy in scriptures and in faith life (2 Timothy 2:5). Moses told Pharaoh that he would go with children to worship God and sacrifice God (Exodus 10:9). Joshua said, as for me and my household, we will worship the Lord (Joshua 24:15).
Illustration:
Irregular to church
Pastor told a young man in his church, This s the time to join in God’s army and serve Him”. The young man replied. “Pastor, I’m already in the Army of the Lord.”
Pastor questioned him, “How come I don’t see you in church except at Christmas and Easter?”
He whispered back, “I’m in the secret service.”
Thirdly
3. Train up to handle critical ways of Life
Futuristic views and visions (v. 3), Loans and advances, Borrowings, and lending (v. 7), sowing and reaping of justice (v.8), Generosity and Sacrifice (v. 9,16).
Illustration: “An IIT rank holder, and his life partner also an IIT person, both married and settled at USA with very lucrative salary and lived a luxurious life with all possible loans available on the earth. The recession has strict the globe nation. He lost his job, no money, no luxury, more demands and worst disappointments. Finally he doesn’t know how to handle the crisis, so committed suicide with his family. He was trained in money making and not trained up to handle the crisis and the failures.”(2009 print media information).
We must train children to handle the emotions, failures and disappointments and crises in life. Easy life always brings lasting suffering. Train to handle the temperaments in a godly way.
Dave Miller: “This is not a promise to parents who raise their children properly but a warning to those who allow their adolescents to grow up without guidance, who raise them up to go their own way and not the way they should go.”
Trapp says: Prevision is the best means of prevention.
Generosity and plenty stand against each other. Those who have plenty are the ones who close their hands to the needy ( to Church and to the Poor).
The poor, who has a fewer resources but they are the ones give generously. So teach children to see the future with heavenly wisdom and God's views and strength. So, teach and train the children to give to God as well as to the poor and needy.
Though giving always understood with monetary helps (money, materials and properties). However, there are many other things children can give to others such as love, compassion, mercy, tender care, thanks, forgiveness, time, and fellowship.
The giving is sowing the seed. Seeds are always less but the harvest is plenty. The plenty is a result of the sown seeds.
Once giving is centred in grace, it lifts the whole act away from mechanics, from pressure and duty, from obligation and mere legalism.
Giving measures the sincerity of Love. “The tragedy of life so often is, not that we have no high impulses, but that we fail to turn them into actions.” (Barclay).
The sacrificial giving of Jesus led him to earn numerous disciples and followers all around the world.
Conclusion: The right way of Life, the Godly way of Life, and the last one is in the critical ways of life, or train up the child with futuristic way of life, Amen.
