TRAINING UP A CHILD GOD'S WAY

Using the teaching methods of God as shown by holy scripture is a wise thing to do. Scripture shows us how it was accomplished that when Jesus was raised up, He was able to accept the good and refuse the evil. Don't you think it is good for us to do for our children what God did for His?

Some people think they have to show children a bunch of rotten books about delinquent behavior and then say "Now child this is not what we want you to do." Those people are mistaken in their understanding. You don't show a child ten million examples of what you don't want him to do. You show a child what you do want him to do. Show him the right way. Explain the right way. Then if he does make a hurtful choice you can explain that to him. You can even point out the generality of the wrong ways. It is good for a parent to help a more mature young man recognize evil things that could hurt the boy unless he knew how to recognize them. Like in the old days, parents had to teach children how to avoid bear traps, and pit-falls in the ground, and dangerous snakes; today we need to teach them about phone scams, whores, pornography, so they can avoid them. It is much better for a father to point out a whore to a sixteen year old boy and tell him to avoid her and her kind, and read the Psalms and Proverbs to him on the subject. Much better than for the boy to go out on his own and meet her by himself. The boy needs to be informed of the pitfalls that would snare him, before he goes out to where he could get snared. But that is not the same thing as what I've seen in so many school libraries, where all the library display was on drugs and crime and what not to do. Spend 90% of the time showing the good stuff. Then the evil will be easier to recognize. Isaiah 7:15. And the boy will have the heart and mind to avoid it and reject it. Raise your children on the good stuff. From time to time, as necessary, point out the poisonous snakes so they won't get bit as they go out to pick berries for your table. You want to build their confidence by showing them the good and how to overcome evil and hurtful things.

Scripture doesn't say, Raise up a child in the way he shouldn't go. It says raise him up in the way he should go. It says, raise him up on the good things; then when you have filled him with good things he will know what is not good.

Children are to be raised up with good things. Isaiah 7:15 Children will know how to choose the good and refuse the evil when they are raised up on good things.

GENTLENESS
Remember what David said, "Thy gentleness has made me great." Be gentle with your child. Do not fall prey to the foolish thought that you have to be hard with him to make him strong. The greatest teachers are gentle. The wise and strong warrior knows how to be gentle. Fathers, do not be hard. You could break your child.

BEAUTY
Show beauty. Keep beauty around your child. Keep Wonderful things around your child.

There is a beauty of holiness. Keep that too.

Isaiah chapter 7 verse 15 says Jesus was raised up on butter and honey so that He would know to accept the good and refuse the evil.

Scripture shows this sequence to reach understanding. "That they may SEE and KNOW and CONSIDER and UNDERSTAND TOGETHER...Isaiah 41:20" For more detail read the Parents and Children letter on teaching.

Other key ideas which are covered include:
Shall We Teach Leaves or Seed Understanding?
Teaching the Seed. Give them seed that they might live and not die.
The Value of Ordered Thought
Key of Knowledge
The psalmist said, "I have more understanding than all my teachers because the word of God is my meditation night and day."
The beginning of wisdom
Early American ideas about the foundation of education.
Truth