Proverbs 22:6 in an Ungodly World: How to Teach Your Kids God’s Truth

As parents, we want to raise our children with the truth of God’s Word. But in today’s society, it can be difficult to do that. There are so many ungodly influences all around us, from the media to our friends and family members. It can be tough to teach our kids biblical principles when the world is telling them something different. But Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” In this blog post, we will explore what that means and how we can apply it to our parenting so we can express truths that lead to eternal life within our homes.

What does “train up a child” mean

The original Hebrew word that is translated as “train” means to discipline or teach. So this verse is saying that if we discipline and teach our children the right way when they are young, they will continue to follow God’s ways when they are older. It is important to start teaching our kids about God early on so that they will have a foundation of biblical principles to build their lives upon. This is about pouring into our children while we have them home with us in our care.

There are many different ways to do this, but here are a few general principles:

• Be a living example of God’s love yourself. If your child sees that you love and follow Jesus, they will be more likely to want to learn about Him, too.

• Be intentional in your teaching. Don’t just assume that your child will learn everything they need to know from church or PureFlix. Take time each day to read the Bible and pray with your kids, and talk about what you’re learning together.

• Equip them with biblical responses to ungodly influences. When your child hears something that is against God’s Word, help them to have a response that is based on scripture aka Apologetics. Read more about Apologetics here.
  
• Pray for your children daily. Ask God to protect them from the dangers of the world, and to helpyou as parents to disciple them in a way that will honor Him. Ask that your children will want to obey God from an early age so they may start on the right path.
  
• It means getting into the Word for yourself mama. The Bible is our instruction manual for life. It tells us what God desires for us and how to have a good relationship with Him. If we want to raise children who love and follow Jesus, we need to be disciples ourselves. And that starts with reading the Bible every day. It also means knowing how to study our Bible. Being able to give answers for our faith (1 Peter 3:15). The best way to teach children is to be in the Word yourself.

It can be difficult raising our kids in a godless world, but with God’s help, we can do it. Let’s pray for our children and commit to teaching them His truth, so they will stand strong against the temptations of this world.

Jesus modeled godly training to his disciples

Training your children requires discipleship and who better to model discipleship than Christ Himself. Jesus spent time with His disciples, teaching them about God and how to follow Him. As parents, we can do the same thing. We can disciple our children by spending time with them, teaching them about God’s Word, and praying for them. To train up a child we must respond the same way Jesus did. Jesus poured into the people He spent time with. He taught them God’s truth and taught them to shy away from their natural inclination.

It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it. When our children grow up knowing and following Jesus and not their own way, they will be an example to the world of what God can do in a life that is surrendered to Him. And isn’t that what we want for our kids?

Godly training is the responsibility of parents; a child’s response is not guaranteed

While it is our responsibility as parents to disciple and train up a child in the way they should go, we cannot guarantee their response. As Christian parents, we can give all the practical advice, share God’s laws throughout our child’s life, set them on the right path, and hope our children learn. Unfortunately, we do sometimes deal with deliberate disobedience. There are no absolute guarantees as Christian parents, unfortunately.

Godly training requires time, effort, and prayer on our part, but ultimately it is up to our children to respond to that training. We can provide them with a foundation of biblical principles, but we cannot make them follow Jesus. They must choose to do that for themselves.

But even if our children don’t respond right away, we can rest assured that God will be faithful to His Word. So let’s keep training them up in the way they should go, and trust that God will do the rest. Remember, He can turn any heart of stone into a heart of flesh (Ezekial 36:26). However, if they have no foundation to do so, this becomes much harder.

Be the model of godly behavior

As a parent, you are the biggest role model for your children’s lives. They learn from what they see you do more than anything else. My kids remember more of what they saw me doing than what they heard me say. If I’ve been diligent about making my bed, when I ask them to make their bed, it gets done without question. However, if I’ve slacked on that household chore, so do they.

The same goes for our spiritual lives. If we want our kids to love and follow Jesus, they need to see us doing the same. We can’t expect them to do what we say, but not what we do. So let’s be diligent in our walk with God, and let that shine through in every area of our lives. If you want your child to grow up following Jesus, then you need to show them what that looks like. Be a living example of God’s love and grace. Follow Jesus with all your heart, and let your child see that.

Be intentional in your teaching. As I said before, don’t just assume that your child will learn everything they need to know from church or PureFlix.

Take time each day to read the Bible and pray with your kids, and talk about what you’re learning together. This is intentional teaching, and it’s one of the most important things we can do as parents. The Bible is our instruction manual for life, and we need to teach our kids how to apply it to their lives. God really does answer everything for us.

Let’s also not forget to pray for our children daily. Ask God to protect them from the dangers of the world, and to help you as parents to disciple them in a way that will honor Him. Prayer is powerful, and we can’t underestimate its importance when it comes to raising our kids in a godless world. With God’s help, we can do this! Let them see you praying with your spouse.

Allow your children to see sanctification in real-time. Say you’re sorry.

When you sin, go to your spouse or a trusted friend and ask for forgiveness. This is something kids need to see modeled as they are growing up. They will make mistakes, but it’s more important that they see how we handle those mistakes than try to avoid them altogether.

Our children need to know that we are not perfect, but that we are forgiven through Jesus Christ. And when they make mistakes, they need to know that there is forgiveness available to them as well. When they mess up, show them repentance and forgiveness.

These are just a few things to keep in mind as we raise our kids in an ungodly world. It’s not going to be easy, but with God’s help, we can do it. Let’s pray for our children and commit to teaching them His truth, so they will stand strong against the temptations of this world.

As we raise our kids in an ungodly world, it’s important to remember that God is still in control. He is sovereign over all things. He has a plan for each and every one of our children, no matter what they face.

We can’t do it alone, but with God’s help, we can raise our kids in a way that honors Him. Let’s pray for them daily, and ask God to protect them from the dangers of this world. And most importantly, let’s teach them His truth so they will be able to stand strong against the temptations of this world. As godly parents, it’s our job to ensure our child understands in their early years that they serve a loving God who only wants the best for their life so they may live their lives God’s way rather than going their own way. Our Christian homes are a place that can be a refuge from the world’s chaos if we allow it to be, we just have to be intentional.

Become a Mama in the Word

Learn more about what it means to be a mom that allows theology and God’s truth to guide her parenting and be a disciple to her children. Come see what it’s all about here.