Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
Now remember that the Proverbs are proverbs. They are not promises. They are wise sayings that describe the normal pattern that prevails in this world. This proverb describes a normal pattern. It does not promise a particular outcome.
But when all of that has been said, this proverb is making a stunning statement: Your influence in the lives of your children goes deeper than you may think. It will still be with them, even when they are old.
There may be times when it seems that your children are not listening. There may be times when you wonder, “Does anything I say ever go in?” More goes in than you see, and more will remain than you think.
The thief on the cross lived his life in open rebellion against God. He was a thief, and from the penalty he suffered, he was most likely a violent one at that. This man was a robber. The kind of man who would assault a traveler on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho and leave him bleeding and wounded. This man has no place for God in His life, and yet in his last hours, he says to another thief, “Do you not fear God?” (Luke 23:40). Where did that come from?
Some awareness that there is a God to whom we must give an account had been planted in his soul. The truth was suppressed. But even after years of rebellion, the conviction remained! So, if you have a rebel son or daughter, do not despair. The living seed of the Word of God has been planted. Who knows what God may yet do with it?
You have more influence than you may think. So be encouraged by this proverb “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
How does this proverb encourage you today? Can you testify to the things you learned as a child that have remained with you till now?
