One Betty was reading a recent article written by Dr. S.M. Davis (Pastor at Park Meadows Baptist Church) where he talks about training our kids to choose right. As parents we all hope and pray that the foundation we are laying for our kids is solid and will wet their appetites for choosing goodness. Our purpose as Christian parents is training the souls of our children, who will live for eternity!
Seeing the familiar passage from Proverbs 22:6 in a new light today was a real blessing and great reminder. Being more intentional and creative with our "spiritual menu" will hopefully make the kiddos hungry for more. It's so easy to put the focus on academics and extra curricular activities during this busy back-to-school time. A little spiritual deficiency at the end of the week can become common and habit forming. Here is an excerpt from the article.
CULTURE THE RIGHT APPETITE
"An appetite is a natural or habitual desire to satisfy some want or need. It may be a natural appetite, or it may be one which we have created for ourselves. In Proverbs 22:6, the Hebrew word for "train up" is usually translated "dedicate." It means that we should pay whatever price we need to pay--in time, attention. love, discipline, self sacrifice, etc.--in order to fully dedicate our children to the Lord and raise them for Him. The phrase that occurs later in the verse ("in the way he should go") is the Hebrew word peh. In other places in the Bible, that word is translated "mouth" or "eat" "Train up a child in the way he should go..."--in the way of his mouth. Sort of strange, isn't it? What it's telling us is that we should train up our children with right appetites. Don't let them taste the wrong things. Why? Because they might develop an appetite for those things."
What a huge responsibility, but one that God knows we can handle with His help! Right?? Most kids don't automatically choose the right thing...but continuing to feed them "a simple diet of outstanding spiritual things," will help those taste buds mature and eventually crave Godly things! Okay, so what's on the spiritual menu for the rest of the week besides going to church? We better get busy "meal planning"'! We would love to hear some ideas on how we can get creative with the kiddos as they/we grow in the Lord. It probably starts with turning off the television....or getting off this computer!
Have a good one!
-The Betties
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