“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6
Some parents have almost put themselves in an early grave because they’ve had a wayward child. Someone has taken this proverb and beaten them over the head with it.
Friend, this verse is a proverb. If you read the book of Proverbs and try to turn proverbs into promises, you’ll lose your faith. A proverb is a proverb. A promise is a promise. A precept is a precept. A parable is a parable. A prophecy is a prophecy. You have to be careful.
There are proverbs that tell you the way to be wealthy. Does that mean everyone who follows one of these proverbs is automatically going to be wealthy? A proverb is a general principle that when generally applied will bring a general result.
Instead of grabbing Proverbs as promises, ask God for discernment. He desires us to “rightly divide the word of truth,” not use it as a club to beat up fellow believers. (2 Timothy 2:15)
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About the author: Greg is a strong believer in Jesus Christ and is also a political analyst, author, and is the Editor-in-Chief for the National War Council. By day he is a self-employed non-emergency medical transport driver, as well as being an author and blogger. His articles are first published on Inspirational Christian Blogs, and I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ! His articles have been widely published on many well-known conservative websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so leaving all links intact and crediting the author and the website that the article appeared on.
Greg is the author of the newly released book: Spiritual Darkness is Destroying America and the Church
Categories: INSPIRATIONAL DEVOTIONS
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I heard an interesting teaching on this proverb once. I would have sworn it was Adrian Rogers, but I could be wrong. Anyway, the teaching was that that proverb was not about wayward children at all, but about helping a child find where he or she fits in life. Basically to not force your perception of who they should become onto them, but helping them find the path the fits them. Example maybe: trying to force the kid who likely would be a better artist into being a baseball player. Or trying to make the kid a scientist when he ought to be a football player.
That’s very true, our children should be allowed to develop into who they want to be, not who we as the parents desire them to be.
Yessir, God has a plan for them too, and it might not be the one we would pick if it was our to pick. We can only hope to teach them to listen to what God has to say to them.
True, not always easy to let them do as they want to. 🙂
Reblogged this on Diary of a MENSA Dropout.
Thank you 🙂