“Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6 ESV
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” – Matthew 13:23 NIV
When we raise and train a child within Proverbs 22:6 context, it means we begin with the Bible, as “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training” (2Timothy 3:16). Teaching children the truth of Scripture will make them wise for salvation. Understanding God’s truths begin with the child’s recognition of his sin and need for a Savior.
I am not yet a parent, but I acknowledge the importance of sharing and teaching the truths from the Bible. I remember reading Proverbs 22:6 on our school bulletin board as a student. I understood its obvious meaning, but then later, I realized the true meaning of the verse. When I was 12 years old, my mom brought her friend, who was a church worker into our house. My mother understood the importance of our need to be spiritually guided. Hence, she accepted her invitation to teach us Bible stories, then later became Bible studies of her church’s fundamental doctrines. I learned from her why Jesus died on the cross and the importance of sharing the Gospel with others. One day, she mentioned her belief that Jesus is not a God but only a prophet. After she left that day, my twin sister and I argued about what she said. Before this, when we were in first grade, we were made to memorize John 14:6, along with John 3:16. Our first-grade teacher told us to remember those verses to never get lost. “Surely Jesus is a God. How can He not be when He is the Truth, the Way, and the Life?” my twin sister and I agreed. Whenever my mom’s friend invited us to attend her church and persuaded us to be baptized, we declined from that time on. We knew we did not want to be part of a sect/religion that does not believe Jesus is God.
Our primary and secondary schools did not integrate religious education into our curriculum, but it was grounded in Christian beliefs. The school president taught us the importance of worshipping God. Now, most of my Catholic classmates and schoolmates have become Christians. Even my classmate, who would always complain of being quickly exhausted from standing and raising her hands during worship services, is now a Christian.
God truly is the one who makes things beautiful in His time. We are mere sowers of His truth; He is the only one that can make the seeds grow (1 Cor 3:6-9). A seed of God’s love sown today may produce a future of great harvest.
Prayer:
Lord God, today make my life sow seeds in those around me. Help me to give out what You have put into me. Amen.
