In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:5–6, NIV 1984).
My Musings – “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” (Franklin D. Roosevelt). The future that we and past generations have built for our children and grandchildren does not look promising. But just as bleak, perhaps even more so, is how we are building our youth for the future.
To a large extent we have abdicated the building to the public school and university systems and government programs. Placing our trust in institutions that have by in large have abandoned Judeo-Christian principles. Poisoning the minds of our youth and leaving their souls unguarded. So, it should be no surprise that we see a general turning away from “the way [they] should go.”
But we must be careful to not lay the blame entirely on these institutions. Even the best of these are no substitute for the family. “Train[ing] a child in the way [they] should go” is the responsibility of parents and grandparents. If done faithfully, “[they] will not turn from it.” There are exceptions, of course, as the above proverb is a general principle not a universal promise.
My Advice – The future that has been built for our youth will be challenging enough without the “thorns and snares” of ungodliness to compound it. But of greater concern is the future that has been prepared for those without Christ. “Their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8, NIV 1984). This is a truth that must not be ignored.
Are you a parent or a grandparent? While it is easier if you start when they are young, it is never too late to “train [them] in the way [they] should go.” For, “[we should] have no greater joy than to hear that [our] children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 3–4, NIV 1984). For those who walk this path of truth, “the second death has no power over them.” (Revelation 20:6, NIV 1984).
The Brew Is A Musing 