Teach Them

       My entire adult life thus far has been spent caring for and teaching young children. From the time I graduated high school I have been either nannying, or teaching in daycare, and honestly, as challenging, frustrating, and exhausting as it can be at times, it has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. I love answering their questions, teaching them new skills, and getting to witness it as they past milestones in their journey. Being that God has so blessed me with this line of work I tend to feel drawn to verses in the Bible related to child rearing, and my favorite is Proverbs 22:6; 'train up a child in the way they should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.'
       I know often we try our best to teach and raise our children in a way that is pleasing to God, and sometimes we still see them fall away from it. I used to be youth leader at church and during that time I saw many youths waiver, including myself, but ultimately the values, morals and beliefs I was raised with won out. I think about that when I read Proverbs 22:6, and I also think about the prodigal son, (Luke 15:11-32) I feel like for me these things held true, because I did return to the way I was brought up after, like the prodigal son, I explored what the world was offering and found it lacking in comparison to a relationship with God.
       I brought up the prodigal son and my past struggle with faith and the world to confirm the truth in Proverbs 22:6, but I also want to stress that if we aren't teaching our children the way they should go, and aren't showing them by example what a godly lifestyle looks like, the world will teach them their ways. God reminds us in several verses to discipline a child who is going astray, but also not to provoke them, I am not a mom yet but even I worry about walking that line. How do we raise godly, happy children who have hearts for serving?
      I believe all we can do is teach them who God is, raise them according to the examples and scriptures He gave us, and pray. Pray for them, and with them, be the person you want them to grow into because they are watching you. If you are swearing, drinking too much, and partying all the time then you are teaching them that this behavior is okay.  Children are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3-5) trusted into our care, it is our responsibly to teach them and help them grow, we can not leave it to the schools, we cannot assume Sunday alone is enough, we need to live what we believe, and not only openly share that with our children but involve them in it.

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Proverbs 29:15 
The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother

Proverbs 29:17
Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.

2 Timothy 3:14-15
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.