I was just reading in Josh and Sean McDowell’s book on “12 Unshakeable Truths”, a nugget on Proverbs 22:6. This verse is often loosely rendered, “train up a child in the way they should go and they will not depart from it when they get older,” Most people take this to mean “get them into a good Sunday School, youth group and discipleship program.” None of these are bad things, but . . .
The word used for “training” a child uses the same word as an archer learning to shoot his bow. Each bow, in the days of the writer of Proverbs, was unique. Each bow had its own qualities and strengths. The archer had to learn how to use that bow effectively. When he switched to another bow, he had to shift his approach.
This verse actually talks about making sure you know your child thoroughly. To train up a child is to understand them well. They are different than other children we may have. What works for one doesn’t work for another. This is more about learning who your child is compared to figuring one size of “teaching and training” fits all!
Which begs from each of us the question, “Am I listening, observing and caring about each child I deal with?”