“It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.” Lamentations 3:27
“And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4
Nurture = the act or process of promoting the development of; training; rearing; upbringing.
Admonition = training with warning against faults; to inform or remind by way of warning.
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Training = making the demands upon the child to do what they have been taught and told to do.
Development occurs when children respond to the demands that are made upon them. For example: physical strength is only developed through exercise. The greater demand one makes upon themselves to exercise, the greater strength they will develop. One thing is for sure — no one develops beyond their level of exercise. And it takes a repeated and consistent effort, with no let up, to affect development.
DEVELOPMENT IS THE RESULT OF RESPONDING TO THE DEMANDS THAT ARE MADE UPON US.
To fail to make the right demands upon our children, is to prevent and even impair their development. For example, you may tell a child that they should pay attention in church. But until it is demanded that they pay attention, they will always fall into distraction. The amount of attentiveness they have is in direct proportion to the demands that are being placed upon them.
Also, a child may be told that they are to stay awake in church, but until it is demanded of them to stay awake, they will just yield to drowsiness.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Thus, a child can develop no more faith than the demands that are being placed upon them to stay awake and pay attention.
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” Proverbs 22:15
The goal of raising our children is to be their proper development. To let a child develop as they may or may not wish to on their own terms will be too little, too late.
To let a child decide on their own when they will take hold of things that they should be doing, rather than make proper and timely demands upon them, will be about as effective as letting a child discipline themselves on their own terms.
SHARING
