Letters to my Children. My Grandchildren and their Calling

Dear Mark, Christina, Melissa, Robbie, Keith and Tiffany - 

One of the most important responsibilities of parents is to encourage their children to mature into the person God intended them to be. Each of you has children and you will be teaching them life principles and modeling these principles for years to come. Here are a few thoughts on raising children and really enjoying the process.

Proverbs 22:6. This verse is a key verse and has a subtle meaning that really guides the entire process of raising children.  The Christian Standard Bible says, "Start a youth on his way...."

I like other translations that read.  "Train up a child" better.

Most interpret this verse to mean that we are to teach our children Godly principles. But there is another meaning I want to emphasize.

Unique Calling. In an earlier post, I mentioned that God has a unique calling, ministry or plan for each of us. I believe he created that plan back in eternity and shapes us to successfully accomplish that plan. This plan is applicable to all of life, physical and spiritual.  When Proverbs encourages us to "train up a child in the way he/she should go," we should encourage children to be aware of God's plan for their life. We should teach them that God calls them first of all to Salvation and then to a ministry that is carried out through a local church in a unique Marketplace. 

Work. The concept of work in a unique Marketplace is important because work is a major component of our ministry. If you encourage your children to understand their spiritual gifts, their passion, their abilities and their personalities, then they will have a much easier time of understanding where God is calling them. Perhaps engineering, perhaps teaching, perhaps in vocational church ministry, perhaps  firefighting, perhaps as an architect, perhaps a housewife, perhaps a shipping agent....There are unlimited possibilities. I suspect that out of 10 grandchildren, 1-2 may be called to work for a church. Most will be in a non religious workplace. 

Once children begin to understand how they are shaped, they begin to zero in on a college major, etc.

My Failure.  I did not understand this verse in Proverbs. Neither did I understand calling and Marketplace until I was about 65 years old so I was not much of a resource to help you as you searched for your calling.

Three crucial Ages.

I believe there are three ages for children as they grow up. I don't have any scientific evidence for this just observations. The first is is about the age of 3 when the thinking and mental processes are beginning to form a pattern of thinking that will last for a lifetime. The second crucial period is around the age of nine when the personality is almost fixed. In fact, some psychologists say that after this age a person seldom changes personality or thinking unless there is a Significant Emotional Event. The third crucial age is about the age of 12 when their spiritual awareness is highest. In fact, I have read that most youth who "check out" of church do so mentally and emotionally between the ages of 12 and 15. 

Don't worry about a Job

When I was born in 1946, my grandaddy worried that there would not be a job on the farm for me when I graduated from high school. Papa was a tenant farmer, and all he knew was farming. He was right. No job on the farm. Thank goodness. But I started by career with Eastex, Inc. - a company that did not exist when I was born, making products that were developed after I was born. Although I did not realize it at the time, that job was God's plan for me from eternity past. That job led to a second career at NC State and Raleigh where I realized that I am called and am here on this earth for His purpose.

Train up your children......encourage them to understand God's calling on their life....let God and the Holy Spirit work our the plan for their lives.