The Bible says we are to "Start children off on the way they should go" (Proverbs 22:6). In other words, we are to be intentional in helping young men and women to know who God is and to make wise choices.
Church services, Sunday school, and children's midweek activities are wonderful, but they are no substitute for teaching our kids the Word of God at home. Read the Bible with them. Pray with them. Take the opportunities life gives you to show how Biblical principles apply to the challenges you face as a family. Even when a young person seems unreachable, no one has more influence over a child than his or her parents.
The value of godly training can be cut short or even undone if we fail to live out our faith.
The value of godly training can be cut short or even undone if we fail to live out our faith and be an example of Christlikeness. Young children and teenagers are careful observers of character. They will know if our talk does not match our walk. Our actions speak far louder than our words.
Each generation is responsible for modeling the Christian faith to the next. If we want to reach those closest to us for the Lord and shape our culture—if we want to take seriously the precious gift of children God has given us—we must consider the bedrooms down the hall at home and the Sunday school classrooms at church to be our first mission field.
Prayer: God, help me to walk daily in the power of Your Spirit. I need Your grace every day as I seek to set a godly example for the next generation. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6).
Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon series Building Godly Families: LISTEN NOW
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