Fear Not! A Guide to Living a Fearless Lifeਨਮੂਨਾ

Train a Child in the Way He Should Go

“And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies. However, they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals. So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children's children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day” (2 Kings 17:37-41, NKJV).

In the passage above, God said, “You shall not fear other gods” twice. When God says something more than once, you should sit up and take notice. The fear of other gods is referring here to worshipping other gods. If you want to find out what God thinks of this practice, you need look no further than commandments 1 and 2 on His Top 10 list.

Children are extremely perceptive; they pick up on our rituals, both good and bad. If you’re a parent, you have to realize you are constantly auditioning what a mother looks like, what a father looks like, what a marriage looks like, and most importantly, what a believer looks like. Your children are going to think what they see is normal. So, the question becomes …what are you showing your kids?

Not all of you are parents, but we all had parents, and much of our religious beliefs and politics come from them. In the song “Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns, the lyrics say, “Be careful little feet where you go; for it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow.”

The onus is really on fathers. In the magazine Touchstone, Robbie Low wrote on the importance a father has on his children becoming churchgoers. “In short, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife’s devotions, only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular).”[1]

Solomon tells us, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6, NIV). If you want your children to grow up to be God-fearing, then model for them what that looks like.

Prayer: Lord, help me to realize what I do, what I say, and how I act are on display for others to see. May I always be a good ambassador, realizing I am representing the King here on earth. I pray I will show myself worthy of being called Your heir. In Jesus' name, amen.

[1] Source Touchstone, Robbie Low, The Truth About Men and Church