Training Wheels

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

(Proverbs 22:6, KJV)

I often hear Christian mothers quote this scripture. She has a wayward son or daughter, and she needs the reassurance, that one day, they will come to know Christ as their Savior, or return back to Him if they have left the path. She knows she has trained her child in the ways of the Lord, but along life's journey, the child made some unwise choices, and they are now far from what was taught to them as a child. The mother needs comfort and hope. She needs to know that God still has His watchful eyes on them, and is wooing their hearts to Him.

Seeds get planted along the way. They may come in the the form of a bedtime story. It may be a Sunday school lesson. The child hears the lessons spoken of in the Bible. He/she knows right from wrong. Parents have a responsibility to train up their children to follow the right path, but when that child becomes an adult, they must release him/her into the Lord's hands. It doesn't mean you stop loving or caring for that child, but now the adult child has some choices to make. They can either adhere to what was taught to them, or go a separate way. Trust the Lord to take care of them.

God, I pray for parents everywhere who are brokenhearted over their wayward children. I pray you give them peace and reassurance that You are watching over them. I pray that their son/daughter will come to know You in a personal way, bringing back to their remembrance the things taught to them when they were younger. Amen!