God’s Blueprint for Spiritually Training Our Children

Parents are responsible for spiritually training their children. We hear that phrase a lot in children’s ministry these days. In fact, that sentence has been written or spoken thousands (maybe millions) of times.

And, that spiritual training needs to be constant (Deuteronomy 6:5-9). We can’t box it up and pull it out an hour a week or even an hour a day and expect what we’re saying to make a lasting impression. Parenting is a 1,440-minutes-a-day-job.

But what is the plan for that training?

We find the plan summarized in a familiar verse in the New Testament: 2 Timothy 3:16—”All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

How does this verse help us train our children?

1. Teaching

We are to teach our children, not just about Bible events and characters, but also how our everyday decisions should first and foremost be made in light of what God says.

*Yes, that wildflower is pretty – think of all the different colors God used to create flowers.

*What do you think? Do you think we should allow you to watch a movie that has so much bad language? (Part of teaching is challenging kids to think for themselves – with parents guiding the child to come to the correct conclusions.)

*We’re proud of you. You had a good game tonight. We’re even more proud of the way you encouraged the boy who dropped the ball.

2. Reproof/Rebuking

As parents, we must realize that children are capable of understanding that there is a right and wrong way to do things. When a child does something wrong, we must point it out to him. Once a child understands that something is wrong, but continues to do it, he must be appropriately punished.

Unfortunately, parents often use sarcasm, teasing, ridicule and even cruelty in reproving their kids. The purpose of reproof is not to make our children feel ashamed, rejected, ignorant or guilty, but to show them God’s standard for making the right choices.

3. Correction

One of the most vital areas of training is to teach a child that wrongdoings must be corrected. Correction is helping a child adjust to a situation and do it the right way.

Often correction is not for a moral issue, but simply teaching life skills. For instance, a three-year-old learning her ABCs might unknowingly skip the letter “J.” A parent needs to go over and over the alphabet until she gets it – but she shouldn’t be punished for her struggle.

Correction of moral issues, can often require just as much patience (and a consciousness on the parent’s part to model what they’re teaching.

4. Training in righteousness

One of the main goals for parents is to train their kids in righteousness and disciple their children for Christ. The word “discipline” comes from the same root as disciple. Parents who carelessly permit their children to do and believe what they want to believe are making a huge mistake.

Discipling a child involves teaching a system of self-control with the goal of building character and causing a child’s behavior to conform to Christ-like attitudes, words and behavior.

All of these components of child-training require that a parent live for Christ. Not that the parent will be perfect, but that he/she will voluntarily seek to serve the Lord. The parent also needs to share with the child the remarkable grace of God which involves forgiveness.

Spiritual training is hard work but it is also our responsibility to train children to know, love and serve the Lord in the midst of a crooked and perverse world.