The Goals of Child Training
1. Fear and Love of God |
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2. Love and Service of Others |
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3. Rule of Spirit |
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4. Wisdom |
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”
Proverbs 3:1-8
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
Luke 2:52
The Goals of Child Training
Fear and Love of God
| Deut 6:4-7 | Eccl 12:13-14 | Prov 1:7; 9:10 | Jer 9:23-24 |
| Psalm 37:4 | Heb 12:28-29 | Hebrews 10:31 | Deut 13:1-5 |
| Psalm 34:11 | Ephesians 6:4 | Psalm 78:1-8 |
| Take your children eagerly to every church assembly | Analyze every current event in light of God’s word |
| Face every difficulty and need with purposeful prayer | Ridicule evolution, sodomy, and other wickedness |
| Cut off ungodly friendships and explain why | Explain all spankings as something God told you to do |
| Respond to blessing and deliverance with thanksgiving | Be enthusiastic when reading the Bible in the home |
| Do whatever it takes to find a Bible preaching church | Have a Bible reading and devotional time every day |
Love and Service of Others
| Lev 19:16-18 | Matt 22:34-40 | Luke 6:31 | Phil 2:3-5 |
| Matt 20:25-28 | Matt 18:21-35 | Matt 5:43-48 | Matt 25:31-46 |
| James 3:14-18 | Prov 18:24 | Ps 133:1 | I Cor 12:13-27 |
| Rom 12:10 | Rom 12:16 | Rom 15:1-3 | I Cor 13:4-7 |
| Rom 12:15 | II Cor 12:15 | Eccl 4:9-12 | Prov 30:27 |
| Rom 13:9 | Gal 5:14 | James 2:8 |
| Do not settle for love of God in self-centered children | To grow in favor with God and men needs loving others |
| Teach your children the meaning of “I am third” | Require each child to share toys or cars at all times |
| Draw out each child for praise in family gatherings | Do not allow any sibling rivalry at all in the home |
| Set a good example of cheerfully serving others | Stress the importance of loving others from the Bible |
| Remind and review why two are better than one | Teach the lesson that many hands make a task light |
| Practice hospitality that involves the whole family | Use every offence by an enemy to teach loving them |
| Explain that a lack of friends is their fault, not others | Encourage and support children taking others out |
| Require your child to consider all and each in a group | Require your child to participate in all group activities |
| Deny that any need or request is beneath your child | Teach compassion by thoughtful and prayerful concern |
| Teach them to be willing to do anything for anyone | Emphasize aggressive eagerness to jump in and help |
| Stop a child talking of himself or problems to others | Require initiative and involvement in helping others |
| Accustom your child to praise of others, not of him | Deny and despise any self-centered attitude at anytime |
| Crush the loner approach at home, church, etc. | Exalt the role, attitude, and work of being a servant |
| Never let a child whine about doing things for others | Converse about others only to help and serve them |
| Tell your child all other children are more important | Praise sacrificing time, money, or emotion for others |
| Require a child to help other children with projects | Teach and emphasize graciousness as a great virtue |
| Teach the best solution for depression is serving others | Commend helping others more than personal honors |
| Teach the Bible’s opinion of self-love, not the world’s | Every bodily member is different for a valuable body |
| Send children to church with specific ones to pursue | Show and teach generosity and liberality in all dealings |
| Require conventionality as a pleasing trait to win men | Demand loving allowances for all positions of liberty |
| Conversations should be turned to others by questions | Condescend and go after the less comely persons |
| Always agree, approve, and cooperate in group settings | Never correct anyone for unimportant facts or errors |
| Silence is always better than babbling with people | If it does not truly matter, then never press an issue |
| Encourage or require dates solely for graciousness | Teach that joy is spelled by Jesus, others, and then you |
Ruling the Spirit
| Prov 16:32 | Prov 25:28 | Phil 4:5 | I Cor 9:24-27 |
| James 1:19 | James 3:2 | Titus 2:12 | Prov 4:23 |
| Prov 22:11 | Gal 5:24 | Prov 14:29 | Prov 19:11 |
| Prov 16:19 | II Cor 4:8-9 | I Sam 30:6 | Psalm 27:13-14 |
| Psalm 42:5,11 | Psalm 43:5 | James 5:17 |
| You can begin setting a child’s schedule at mere weeks. | Even if sick, a child does not need to cry and whine. |
| Require staying seated at meals, devotions, and church. | Save praise and rewards for when a job is finished. |
| Rebuke and correct moodiness and/or depression. | You can teach a child to like any food by reserving it. |
| Even during discipline a child should rule his crying. | Depression is generally not an illness, but a selfish spirit. |
| Crush anger, for it is a passion that knows no reason. | Teach young children off-limit things at the table. |
| Teach children to sit still for devotions and adults. | Children can never be allowed to talk back to parents. |
| Complaining should be crushed as much as anything. | Children should wait until they are asked to speak. |
| Cheerfulness is not an option; joy is a command. | A strong-willed child just means you must work harder. |
| Losing a game cannot lead to anger or moping. | Quitting cannot be part of a child or adult’s vocabulary. |
| Waiting for a thing strongly desired builds patience. | Life is a long chain of day-after-day routines done well. |
Miscellaneous (not in order of priority)
| Respect of authority | Eph 6:1-13; I Pet 2:11-19; II Peter 2:10-12; Rom 13:1-7; Exodus 22:28; Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 3:6; Hebrews 12:9; Exodus 22:28 |
| Honesty | Prov 12:22; Prov 6:16-19; Romans 12:17 |
| Humility | Prov 16:18-19; Prov 18:12; Prov 29:23; Prov 25:6-7; James 4:6; Rom 12:16 |
| Diligence | Prov 6:6-11; Prov 22:29; Prov 14:23; I Cor 15:10; Prov 10:4; Prov 13:4 |
| Wisdom | Prov 4:7-8; Eccl 7:11-12; Eccl 10:10; Eph 5:15-17; Prov 24:3-6; Prov 3:13-18 |
| Zeal | Eccl 9:10; II Kgs 9:20; Gal 4:18 |
| Thankfulness | I Thess 5:18; Deut 28:47; Heb 13:15 |
| Friends | I Cor 15:33; Prov 14:7; Ps 119:63; Prov 29:25; Heb 10:23-25; Prov 13:20 |
| Good speech | James 3:2; Prov 22:11; Col 4:6; Prov 15:1; Matt 12:34-37; Jas 1:19 |
| Graciousness | Prov 11:16; Eccl 10:12; Dan 6:3 |
| Priorities | Prov 16:8; Prov 17:1; Prov 15:17; Matt 23:23; Eccl 7:1-6; Jer 9:23-24 |
| Friendliness | Prov 18:24; Prov 17:17; Prov 27:10 |
| Group dynamics | Eccl 4:9-12; Prov 30:27; Heb 10:23-25 |
| Sexual purity | I Thess 4:3-8; Prov 7:6-27; Prov 6:20-35 |
| Marriage in the Lord | Gen 6:1-2; I Cor 7:39; I Cor 11:11; Judges 14:1-3; I Kgs 11:1-10; Gen 28:1-5 |
| Spirituality | Phil 3:18-19; II Tim 3:1-5; Col 3:2 |
| Contentment | I Tim 6:6; Phil 4:11; Heb 13:5 |
| Generosity | II Cor 9:6-7; Prov 11:24-26; Luke 6:38; Acts 20:35; I Chron 22:5; I Chron 29:2 |
| Fruit of Spirit | Gal 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9; II Pet 1:5-9 |
| Duty | Psalm 15:1-5; Exodus 18:21; Prov 20:6; Prov 25:13; Prov 20:11; Phil 2:20-22 |