Child Training on Four Fronts

God has supplied some fabulous parenting resources in the Bible. The Book of the Law guides children in ways to express love for God by obeying His commandments. Proverbs teaches children how to walk in God centered wisdom. Ecclesiastes explores the meaning of life without God and therein gives young people a powerful reason to fear God and keep His commandments.

The chart we have been introducing, “Crucial Steps to Proverbs 22:6,” summarizes what the Law, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes teach us about the training of children. Think of this as a master plan for home based discipleship. Notice that there are twelve content blocks, each of which represents a major area of child training and transformation. The blocks are arranged in a sequence: 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 although there will be some overlap between blocks.

Also notice that these blocks are color coded. The color key to the left identifies each of four key targets using navy, green, medium blue, and light green. The Book of the Law and Proverbs both underscore the training of children using this four-sided didache. When a child has been fully trained and is spiritually ready to stand on his own, He will possess:

1. A spiritually self-sustaining relationship with God
2. A comprehensive theological truth-base that filters everything he encounters and considers
3. A Word-based moral compass that is actively guiding his actions
4. A will that is genuinely surrendered to God

A navy content block targets a child’s spirit and seeks to develop his relationship with God. Green blocks aim for the mind and build a comprehensive truth base in a son or daughter’s mind. The conscience is addressed by content bars in medium blue which establish and calibrate a working  moral compass. Light green colored content bars tackle issues of the will.

You will notice that once the first few blocks of training have been started, parents will be working with a child on three to four fronts at the same time. As they do, and as God blesses their efforts, they will raise up children who know God, know the truth, know what is right, and are making choices accordingly.