“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it”. Proverbs 22:6
With three teenage boys in the house, KyAnne and I find ourselves leading discussions on serving with a great attitude on a pretty regular basis. Whether it is just having a happy heart while loading the dishwasher or joyfully stopping to help a neighbor move branches from his yard, we want our kids to serve with gladness.
Unfortunately, too many parents have a lackadaisical “either my kids have it or they don’t” philosophy when it comes to getting their young to think of others. This is where Proverbs 22:6 comes in. The key word is “train”…not “bribe”, “beg” or “bother”. And the earlier in life children witness adults joyfully serving, the earlier they will find the joy in it themselves! Do you see the key here...for us it has been being the best expample as possible. Even at times when we have failed it has been a teachable moment for our kids.
In a blink, our kids will be the leaders of our churches: the elders, the ushers, the children’s volunteers, the worship team. Today, KyAnne and I have purposed to train them as well as we know how…to train them to serve…and not to merely be served. Wow. Imagine an entire generation coming up in church…trained to be like Jesus.
With three teenage boys in the house, KyAnne and I find ourselves leading discussions on serving with a great attitude on a pretty regular basis. Whether it is just having a happy heart while loading the dishwasher or joyfully stopping to help a neighbor move branches from his yard, we want our kids to serve with gladness.
Unfortunately, too many parents have a lackadaisical “either my kids have it or they don’t” philosophy when it comes to getting their young to think of others. This is where Proverbs 22:6 comes in. The key word is “train”…not “bribe”, “beg” or “bother”. And the earlier in life children witness adults joyfully serving, the earlier they will find the joy in it themselves! Do you see the key here...for us it has been being the best expample as possible. Even at times when we have failed it has been a teachable moment for our kids.
In a blink, our kids will be the leaders of our churches: the elders, the ushers, the children’s volunteers, the worship team. Today, KyAnne and I have purposed to train them as well as we know how…to train them to serve…and not to merely be served. Wow. Imagine an entire generation coming up in church…trained to be like Jesus.
