I was at a wedding a few weeks ago, and someone asked, “What do you like most about retirement?” I answered, “I love being able to study the Bible for as long as I want.” In the 40 ministry years prior to this season of Jubilee, the constraints of “the next thing” have regularly limited my explorations of the Book to an allotted time before giving the next sermon or teaching the next class. My pre-sermon credo was the same as the rodeo bull-rider in the chute who said, “Son, you’re never ready, it’s just your turn.”
Over the years, Rochelle and I have taught on child-training under the titles of “Musar Classes” and “T12 Seminars.” These classes have focused on biblical principles for training younger children. We have always wanted to bring the same rigor to a class for the coaching phase of child training (teen years) but the pace of ministry consistently opposed that desire.
Until now! Over the last few months, I have been able to dig into what the Bible says about training children to adulthood. It has been exciting to chase rabbits at will! As I have, an amazing picture has emerged. This bigger picture shows parents how to raise up children to become like Daniel, an early teen who prevailed against pagan indoctrination because he truly owned his faith. The foundation of the T12 material integrates seamlessly into this bigger picture.
The chart that I will be unveiling is the master summary of this material. There is much more to say and I will have to save it for the book. But this chart will give you a good start, and will probably tell you enough to get your parental wheels turning. Today, we will do an overview of the chart. In a few successive posts, I will reveal a little more from the master chart and add some explanatory notes.
The chart is titled “Crucial Steps to Proverbs 22:6.” This title is intended to work on two levels. First, it suggests that the chart is providing a sequence of steps by which to “train up a child in the way” of wisdom. But the title also announces that this sequence can lead to the outcome described in Proverbs 22:6: These crucial steps form a personal commitment in a young adult to live by wisdom for a lifetime.
The green and blue bars describe core content that parents will address from year one to the day a child leaves home as an adult. Notice how there is a sequence to this content. Parents will begin focusing on the first area sometime around the child’s first birthday. They will continue to strengthen their child in that area for some time. But once the first core concept has been introduced and the child is making progress in living the associated wisdom principles, it’s time to introduce the second concept. Each new content area builds on what has gone before.
I have not put any age markers on the x-axis because children don’t all learn at the same pace. So don’t lock yourself into some arbitrary time table, i.e., “my 5-year-old should be on block six by now.” And don’t compare children, yours or someone else’s – this is not a competition. Your job is to discern when your child is ready and then introduce him or her to the next content block in the sequence.
The lavender shaded area describes three different forms of parental influence that can be used during the course of a child’s upbringing. Once again, a sequence is involved but a very fluid one. In the early years, parental influence takes one form. A second form of influence comes into its own in the middle years. A third influence becomes dominant as a child nears adulthood. Although the forms of these three influences differ, the goal is the same, to give a child maximum opportunity to live according to wisdom. Each influence phase aligns with some key content blocks and targets relevant wisdom challenges.
Okay, now that you have the big picture, we are ready to zoom in for a closer inspection.
Jim,I will always hold close the years I got to sit at your dinner table and watch musar first hand! The Lord is sweet because He does not waste anything.Even though I was only in high school I was being trained back then.
Now, I am in my late 40's and raising a 4 year old.Who knew? :) I am grateful for you and Rochelle and the insight you passed on to me and so many others. I am really excited about this new material as I also have a rising teenager and middle schooler. Whew! Do vitamins come with this too? So much love,Blair Collins
Blair Collins
Posted by: Blair collins | July 21, 2014 at 10:15 AM
Blair,
What a profound joy it was to include you as a vital part of Team Fleming in the early years. Consider yourself an honorary lifetime member! What a delight that God is using you in the lives of those now entrusted to you. When you find those special vitamins, let me know. I think we need them.
Love you back,
Jim & Rock
Posted by: Jim | July 21, 2014 at 05:01 PM