Friday!

Proverbs!

Direct your children onto the right path,

and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Proverbs 22:6 NLT

When we were young parents this proverb was wielded as a weapon, to "train up a child in the way he should go..." as if there was a magic formula to parenting that guaranteed success and if this child was not on the right path then you must've done something wrong.

But the context of these last couple of Proverbs is about the path, the direction of travel. 

And the Hebrew word here is "chanak" which is to train, to dedicate, and it seems to be used in the context of using oil to encourage a baby to breast-feed, or mushed up dates to encourage a child in what is good to eat.

So this is not some weapon to wield at parents but an encouragement to gently show a child where nutrition is, goodness is, and to start that as early as you can. 

And this proverb is not aimed directly at parents, so all of us can be part of encouraging children on a path that is for their thriving and for their good. 

To do that, we need to be on a good path. 

What do I need to address in my life that is unhealthy, leading me away from God's goodness, doesn't reflect His character?

Our God gently, graciously, leads us in the right path, we get to choose to stay there.

#proverbs

#wisdom

#somethingtochewon