Let the Training Begin
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
As we celebrate Christmas, especially those of us with little ones, we have an unction to buy them things. As we go up and down the toy aisles, we see gadgets that will make their eyes light up and bring a smile to them on Christmas morning. There is nothing wrong with giving them a gift, but the sad part about giving the gift is that they probably won’t remember it next year. However, there is something more valuable that you can give your child or grandchild, and that is training for a successful life.
By teaching our little ones about biblical giving, we help position them to receive financial blessings at an early age and all throughout their lives. By showing them how we worship God, we teach them to enter into worship themselves. By sharing God’s word with them and helping them with scripture memorization, we strategically deposit the word of God into their spirits. All these practices are vital for them to be strong, stable Christians. These strategies can also help keep them out of the dangers that we experienced and experimented with that we should not have. This is why it’s important that each of us begins “training for reigning.” It’s time we start training our children instead of raising them.
You see, it is the boxer who is trained but the chicken who is raised. It is the soldier who is trained but the cattle who is raised. The boxer and the soldier are trained to succeed, win, fight, overcome, and conquer. However, the chicken and the cattle and are simply grown to be consumed by whomever desires to do so. Our children were not put here for the enemy’s consumption; they are agents of the most high God, sent to win battles for the kingdom of God and to win the war against the armies of darkness. So this Christmas season, let the training begin!