Train!

Train!

“Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 AMP

A definition of 'train' presents the following: 'to impart skills, knowledge, or specific behaviors to a person through practice and instruction'. Another one is 'to exercise, practice, or condition the body for a sport, competition, or strenuous activity'. Both are relevant for the verse that is our devotion for today. The definitions above speak of a desire and a destination. There is purpose, intention and direction. There is focus and pursuits. How do these relate? Behind a desire to train is the end goal. You know the value of that end-result; you know what it takes to achieve that end-result, and you put in the work and labour required to achieve that end-result. 

The verse above lays emphasis on 'training' a child. The focus of the training is at an age when you can still mold and influence. A child is still at a stage where s/he is teachable, and is generally open to ideas and discipline. I do believe it was not a mistake to focus on the child. Once habits are formed and character is set, it is hard to make changes. You aim for influence and impact early, so that pursuits and priorities reflect the right lessons. It must also be emphasised that the person seeking to train the child must also know what the right way is. As we always say, I cannot give what I do not have. I cannot force out of me what I have not spent time internalising in the first place. 

Pity a child with the wrong examples to emulate. Once the example is wrong, the end-product will also be wrong, and that is why one must equally be careful of who you allow to influence and train a child. Reflect on the words of the verse above: 'teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents'. It means that I must also walk that walk and model what I teach. Personal examples strengthen teaching. Another benefit laid out in the verse above is that you help the child to form a personal encounter with God too. It ls good to hand-hold for a while, but the greatest blessing a child can have is to be taught how to seek and find God for him/herself. 

When the foundation is set, the journey is worth it. The child is equipped for all that life may throw at him. The early training prepares the child for whatever life may bring as s/he grows. The pain of growing is necessary for the delight of stabilty and consistency later in life. The lessons are set in stone, and the child is not easily swayed. Solomon, who wrote almost all these proverbs, was taught by his father, David, to seek God for himself, but we also see that, at a point, Solomon had to live or die by the choices he made. Am I striving to impact the lives of all that God has given me? Am I faithful to the assignment that He has given me over my children? God's time of favour is here.