There is nothing more important or strategic for the future of mankind than raising a generation of children who know Jesus as Lord!
Introduction to Chapter 29:
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN ENSURING YOUR CHILD A GOOD EDUCATION WAS THE HOPE OF EVERY AMERICAN FAMILY. It was a way to safeguard their future. But today higher education is sometimes more a course in propaganda than an education in a particular subject or discipline.
Spiritual Guide
(The Spiritual Guide section of each chapter should be reviewed after reading the corresponding chapter.)
There is no substitute for teaching our own children. Unfortunately, we think of teaching as purely academic. One of the reasons we have young adults graduating from college without really knowing how to do anything productive is the abandonment of the tried and true process of mentoring. God’s wisdom for teaching our children is not a classroom; it is “when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7) This is talking about influencing our children in the process of real life. As parents and grandparents we should be life coaches for our children. If we can teach them how to live and to accept God’s values and morals as the way to a great life, they can sift through the propaganda without becoming poisoned.
We can develop our children in the way of wisdom. Sadly, few people seem to want wisdom. Because of the historical Luciferian influence in Christian thought we tend to take more of a mystical perspective than one based on faith. The occult (secret knowledge that comes by initiation) works from formulas, saying the prayer properly, performing the right set of works, etc. These mystical Religionist approaches to prayer and faith are taught as “spirituality.” In fact, much pop-doctrine is so inundated with the formula concept they think wisdom is not of faith.
Wisdom is always about practical application. If I trust God’s love for me and trust the wisdom of His Word I will experience grace to put it into practice. The key is “put it into practice.” Wisdom answers the question, “How does this work in real life?” This is what needs to be modeled to our children. Our children need to see what it looks like when we put God’s truth and our faith to work in a practical way that benefits our life.
We have all heard the Scripture: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). For many parents this means take him to church, make him do right, and even if he backslides when he is old he will come back. The Amplified Bible provides a little better insight when it says: “Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This seems to be more in line with the original language.
We should be observant parents who listen and discover our child’s interests and passions – their particular bent. Then we should show, disciple, or train them in walking in God’s Word to fulfill their dreams. If people connect living their dreams to walking with God it will be hard to separate them from God. This, of course, means it is how you must live your life.
I highly recommend reading a chapter of Proverbs every day with your children in a translation they can understand and teach them how this wisdom applies to their lives. Don’t limit your spiritual modeling to just praying for their needs; nothing is as devastating to a child as an unanswered prayer. Pray for them and then show them God’s principles for walking into their truth. Let them see you listen to the Holy Spirit and get good results. Show them how to apply God’s Word from the motive of love. You be the light in their world of darkness!
Not everyone can afford it, but obviously one of the greatest gifts you could give your child is to place him or her in a good Christian school. Be sure when placing your child in a Christian school that it is not just a school for kids who have been kicked out of public school; you don’t want them in a reform school. Find a school that takes a positive approach to walking with God. They don’t need to be turned off to God by extreme legalism.
One solution for funding attendance in a private school is the “voucher system.” This is the only thing that will break the socialistic monopoly forced on the educational system. Let your city, county, state, and federal representatives know you want them to support the voucher system. If the opportunity ever arises for a presidential candidate who is willing to dismantle the Department of Education, the voucher system would be worth supporting. But even the perfect educational system doesn’t replace personally mentoring our children to walk with God!
The Apostle Paul said, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Living the kind of life you want your children to live ensures that if they imitate you they will be imitating Jesus.