Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22 : 6 __KJV)

1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

3. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

4. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the

nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6 : 1-4 __KJV)

1. Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right.

2. Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise

attached to it,

3. Namely, so you will live well and have a long life.

4. Fathers, don’t exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take

them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master. (The Message Bible)

For parents to be concerned about their children’s developing into productive adults should be on every Father and Mother’s mind. For those parents desiring to raise their sons and daughters up as christians, as believers in the Lord, Jesus. We place the horse before the carriage. The parent must first identify and understand the dynamics of a family. A nuclear family is Husband (male), Wife (female), boys, girls, or both (children).

With divorce rates, unwed parents, in some cases death, we have many single parent families. Although the dynamics may shift, the rules and principles remain steadfast and intact.

Let us look at a single Christian Mother, and you are raising boys. That man child does not replace the absent man in your life. That male child is not your eternal “baby.” Parents, your children are not your buddy. There has to be a division in authority. A distribution of power between Parents, whether they are on site or absentee. I am addressing the male child first. Not because he is more important, but because there is a greater attack on him. As a black male he has to learn survival skills, because in this country he is most likely to be incarcerated, branded and denied equal justice and even murdered without anyone being held accountable.

This is where Men need to take their rightful place as head of the family, and led, minister to your wives and children (your family). You do whatever it takes, legally, to Insure the wellbeing of your family. Black men, with all that we endure, still does not give you a pass to misuse women and drop babies all over the place. And Measure your manhood by the number of “Ho’s” you got. Women, you need to quit selling yourselves cheap, just because some fool is driving a BMW, but he still living in his Mama’s house, and she thinking her “baby” is too good for you. Ever man you meet or date does not have to be packing a degree or working in corporate America. What is his work History? If he has children, does he support them? Does he respect you and your life? What is his relationship with God?

For the Men and Women, “what is your filter, and measuring stick?” Are your priorities in line with Jesus?

You do not plant apples and get oranges.

What a seemingly simple, but overwhelmingly complicated verse! It’s one of the most quoted and often misquoted verses in the Bible (Proverbs 22:6).

People often use this verse as a guarantee that if you raise your children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4), they’ll always stay on the right path. That interpretation can be problematic, particularly for the “good parents” who have seen their older children stray from the faith. We all know that we can try our best, and sometimes the results are different than we would have hoped. God has given us free will to make our own choices

I share the view that it is not as much a guarantee for parents, but rather a warning.

“This is not a promise to parents who raise their children properly but a warning to those who allow their adolescents to grow up without guidance, who raise them to go their own way.” Children left to their own way are not likely to change; they’ll become adults who go their own way, the wrong way. Interestingly, Solomon wrote later in (Proverbs 22:15__ MSG) Young people are prone to foolishness and fads; the cure comes through tough-minded discipline.

Solomon obviously recognized that children don’t tend to make the wise choice on their own.

There’s yet another view regarding Proverbs 22:6. It’s the view that Proverbs 22:6 isn’t as much about the moral or spiritual direction of the child, but rather his or her gifts and talents. It’s about parents helping their children discover their purpose and path in life. Parents are in the unique role of helping children discover how God has equipped them and how they can use their gifts in a positive way as adults.

As a parent, and Christian, I do know that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Regardless of the camp, you may fall in on the interpretation of this complicated verse, I believe there are several important implications we should all be able to agree on.

You have a responsibility as a parent.

Throughout Scripture, God is pretty clear about the responsibility He places in the hands of parents. None is more clear than Deuteronomy 6:6-7: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

We have a responsibility as parents to teach our children what matters to God. It doesn't mean forcing them into a certain set of beliefs or rituals; rather, it means demonstrating a real faith – one that puts the focus on loving God and loving others. There's not a greater purpose we can have in life than “Walking the Talk” for our children to see.

Our children are going to learn about the world around them and their role in it. If they don’t learn from us, they will learn from someone else. It’s our responsibility to use our time with our kids wisely.

I am under the belief we have thrown the baby out with the bath water. “Don't discard something valuable along with something undesirable”

We are responsible for the unappreciative children, the attitude of privilege just because I exist. We wonder how to lead our Kids to christ when we are failing at parenting. Many of us grew up with a boys room and a girls room, and you may have shared a bed with one of more siblings. Now days Kids have their own room and don’t know how to make up the bed, pickup and hang up their designer or name brand cloths. That’s mama’s job.

Everybody eating what they want for dinner. A family should sat at the table, say grace, and eat what is put before you. If Daddy, worked a Day Job, then we waited on daddy to eat. Kids now are allowed to sat at the table and text and cruise social media.

I appreciate modern technology. But we have given not only ourselves, but our children to “familiar spirits”. The airways are laden with predators. Satan has targeted your children. I am not saying take away computers and cell phones. You paid for it therefore you own it and regardless of how it got in your child’s hand, you still should monitor and determine its use. When we are young, our parents represent the authority of God to us. In a way, they stand in for God for a time. We first learn to obey and submit to God by obeying and submitting to our parents.”

You have influence as a parent.

Children are sponges. kids seem to soak up everything – good and bad. They often mimic the mannerisms of their parents. They’ll do and say the same things we do from time to time. Observe your children, in what music they listen to. What phrases are they using when they, and you can figure out who they’re hanging with.

When writing to the Ephesians, Paul encourages the church to be “imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2). That should encourage you and reminds all of us how we are supposed to live and love. But, it also reminds you that your children are in your care and looking for my example. Our children often imitate us. They learn how to act by seeing how we act. They’ll only know how to love by seeing how we love. If they are imitating us, and we are imitating God, our child will grow up knowing what it means to follow Christ.

Let me share an analogy: The moon reflects light from the sun. It’s not a big mirror in the sky reflecting the sun exactly, or else the light from the moon and sun would be the same. When the moon is full, it looks quite bright. But, even at its brightest, it reflects less than 20 percent of the sun’s light. That was the intention… for the moon to be the “lesser light.”

Just as the moon reflects the sun, as a Christian, I should reflect the Son. We were made in God’s image, but we are not perfect like Him. We are works in progress. As we grow closer to Him, there should be some family resemblance between us and our Father. The things we say and do should be characteristic of Him. And, here’s why that’s important. If I truly reflect Him and shine His glory, others will, including my children. “Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

It’s not likely that Proverbs 22:6 is a guarantee of success for committed, Christ-following parents. But, it is important to recognize the truth the verse contains. God has given us an incredible responsibility by placing children in our care. The family is a primary mechanism God uses to grows His kingdom and grow His people. As a result, it’s our duty to teach our children about God. We are in an influential position, and what we do today will matter in our kids’ lives tomorrow.

God has given us the keys to the vehicle, we just need to drive

By Reverend Charles Robinson