Train up a child in the way he should go

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 ESV)

This verse is often misunderstood to mean that flawless parenting guarantees a child’s obedience or that simply teaching them God’s Word ensures their salvation. However, parents cannot force salvation or righteous living on their children—doing so would override their God-given free will.

Instead, this verse emphasizes a parent’s responsibility to guide their children toward Christ. It calls us to teach them about the narrow path Jesus invites us to follow and to model that path through our daily lives. While this does not guarantee our children will choose Christ, it ensures they know the way when they leave our care and face their own decisions.

The real question is, are we doing all we can to show and teach our children the way to God’s kingdom? Are we so deeply committed to our own walk with Christ that our lives make following Him undeniably appealing? Or are we preoccupied with worldly living while simply throwing God’s Word in their direction?

Are we modeling a life that says, “Do as I say, not as I do”? As a youth pastor, I’ve often heard children question why their parents claimed Jesus was everything but lived as if the world was their priority. If we live for the world, our efforts to teach and train can become nothing more than empty words.

True parenting calls us to embody Christ’s love, grace, and truth in such a way that our children see the value of following Him—not through mere words, but through a life faithfully lived.