Who's training your children?

One of the most clung-to verses in the Bible is in today's chapter of Proverbs...

Verse 6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." (From memory, so perhaps not exactly perfect.)

It's often claimed as a 'promise' from God. But is it really a promise? It's in the book of Proverbs, which are wise sayings, and generally, but not exhaustively true. For example, while gray hair often indicates wisdom, it's certainly not universal! And the righteous GENERALLY, but not ALWAYS leave an inheritance... etc. etc.

So we can't blame God for breaking His promise when children grow up in Christian homes and then turn away from God as adults.

However, even if it were a promise, how are most kids in Christian homes trained, anway? Let's see.... at least 35 hours a week in public schools, being trained by peers and government educators. Add to that another ten or so being trained by television/movies, and perhaps another five (note that I'm fairly conservative with my numbers here to give us the benefit of the doubt) listening to secualar music. That comes to 50 hours a week being trained in the ways they shouldn't go!

Trained in the way they should go? Well..... maybe two hours on Sunday, and two more on Wednesday (although the peer interaction often causes this time to be of VERY questionable value!) What about time reading the Bible, praying, discussing life from a godly perspective with their parents? How does that stack up to the 50 hours a week being trained from an ungodly perspective?

So, back to Proverbs... With training like that, it's no wonder that the percent of our kids walking with God as adults is so low, and only by God's grace that it's as high as it is.