Train Them Up in Jesus: The One Verse Vision for Dads

It was a crisp autumn morning as I took my son, Matthew, for a walk in the woods near our home. We walked for a while and stopped to enjoy the beauty of God's creation. As we were walking back, Matthew picked up a rock and said, "Dad, can I keep this?" I looked at the rock and saw nothing special about it. But then Matthew said something that took me by surprise. "Dad, this rock reminds me of how God created the world. He is so powerful and so awesome!" I was blown away by my son's insight and understanding of God's handiwork.

As dads, we want our children to have a strong faith in Jesus. But how do we go about doing that? The answer can be found in one verse of the Bible: "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). This verse gives us a clear roadmap for raising our children to love and follow Jesus. Let's explore three practical ways we can train up our children in the way they should go.

Training Up Our Children

1. Bible reading and prayer: One of the most important things we can do as dads is to model a love for God's word and prayer. Make it a habit to read the Bible and pray with your children every day. This will help them develop a deep love for God's word and a strong prayer life. Try setting a goal to read through the Bible together in a year or work on memorizing a verse together each week.
2. Show them God's love: Our children need to see Jesus' love in action. Show them kindness, patience, and forgiveness. Engage in acts of service together, such as volunteering at a soup kitchen or helping a neighbor in need. Teach them to be generous by giving to missions and charities.
3. Discipline with love: It's important to discipline our children in a way that reflects God's love for them. Proverbs 13:24 says, "Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him." Discipline must be consistent, fair, and motivated by love. We discipline not to punish, but to teach and train our children in righteousness.

and Case Studies

One dad shared how he makes Bible reading and prayer a priority in his family by taking his children out for breakfast once a week. They bring their Bibles and talk about what they're reading together. Another dad shared how he takes his children on a "compassion walk" around their neighborhood, looking for ways to serve and love those in need. One mom shared how she disciplines her children with love by taking time to explain why their behavior was wrong and reminding them of God's standards for behavior.

These personal anecdotes and case studies illustrate how training up our children in the way they should go can be done in practical ways.

Conclusion in Three Points

1. Train them up in God's word and prayer: Make Bible reading and prayer a daily habit with your children. Work on memorizing verses together and set goals for reading through the Bible.
2. Show them God's love: Engage in acts of service together, show kindness, patience, and forgiveness. Teach them to be generous and give to missions and charities.
3. Discipline with love: Discipline must be consistent, fair, and motivated by love. Discipline not to punish, but to teach and train our children in righteousness.

References and Hashtags

• Category: Family and Parenting
• Hashtags: #trainingupmychildren #godlydads #raisinggodlychildren
• Reference URLs:
  • https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/one-verse-vision-for-fathers
  • https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/how-to-raise-godly-children/
  • https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/10-ways-to-raise-godly-children.html