Teach Your Children Well

by Forrest Moyer

A popular song a few years ago had the line, "Teach your children well." Of course, this has always been the demand of God upon parents. Moses said to Israel, "And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children..." (Deut. 6:6-7b). Among the many parental proverbs of Solomon are words such as "Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death" (Prov. 19:18). Did you ever think about the solemn fact that your failure to "teach your children well" may be the cause of their death — maybe physically, but most assuredly spiritually? That’s heavy stuff, isn’t it? Then we are all familiar with "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (22:6). This is re-echoed in Paul’s instructions to the Ephesians: "And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (6:4). All these are saying, "teach your children well."

This cannot be accomplished in an hour or two a week or even an hour or two a day. This is an "all the time" assignment from God to parents. In infancy, in the very formative toddler stage, in childhood and throughout the teen years, this commitment is upon us to "teach our children well." It takes time — both "quality time" and "quantity time." It takes planning, patience, prayerfulness, and perseverance. It takes love, loyalty, labor, and leading. It take devotion, diligence, and discipline. Parents must cooperate in this great work.

It is not just telling a child all that he is doing wrong. That’s probably the most destructive way to rear a child. True, corrective discipline must be given. But along with that there must be love and affection. Luther was raised by a father who was over-strict to the point of cruelty which led Luther to say, "Spare the rod and spoil the child — that is true; but beside the rod keep an apple to give him when he has done well." Barclay gives us this account: "Benjamin West tells how he became a painter. One day his mother went out leaving him in charge of his little sister Sally. In his mother’s absence he discovered some bottles of coloured ink and began to paint Sally’s portrait. In the doing so he made a very considerable mess of things with ink blots all over. His mother came back. She saw the mess, but said nothing. She picked up the piece of paper and saw the drawing. ‘Why,’ she said, ‘it’s Sally!’ and she stooped and kissed him. Ever after Benjamin West used to say: ‘My mother’s kiss made me a painter.’ Encouragement did more than rebuke could ever do" (Ephesians, pp. 211-212).

Parents, are you "teaching your children well"? It’s time we really looked at our lives to see if we are keeping God’s charge to us.

 

Other Articles by Forrest D. Moyer
Grace and Righteousness
Various Thoughts on the Church
That Piece of Clay