You Are Your Children’s Mirror
Author: Pat Aman

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I have spent the last couple of days with the two younger grandchildren.
I can tell they are developing their own individual personalities even though they are twins.

Asher is becoming an active 100% boy. If there is something to get into, he does. He loves the outside.

And Kyndal is going to be a prissy 100% girl, but one that does not mine getting her hands dirty. She loves dolls, tractors and animals.

Today, we went to the Tractor supply. Kyndal was acting like it was Christmas. If they had the Danrango Boots in her size, we would of left with boots on.

As parents and grandparents we need to be teaching our children about God. This is so someday they will be open to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking them. They need to understand the voice of God. Then when the Holy Spirit speaks to them they will believe in Jesus to save them from their sins.

As parents and grandparents we must guard their body, mind, soul, spirit and their hearts.

Until they reach the age of accountability, which is their understanding of Jesus, we are held accountable as friends, family, parents and grandparents for what is put into their lives.

I know today, I hit my arm on the bathroom cabinet. It started to bleed and I said, well, dog gone it.” In less than 30 minutes I hear Kyndal say, “well, dog gone it, ” when she could not get her fence to stand up around her barn set. I thought, “Pat, they are picking up what you say because they feel if Nina says it, it must be okay. “…

So we must keep training them in God, so that after they are saved, He can empower them to live for Him through the same Spirit.

If we do not tell them about God, the world will show them the world without God.

We must realize that children have different personalities at different stages of their life. This helps them, and gives us the opportunity to lead them in the right path of each stage.

And we much not put our own expectations on our children. Sometimes our expectations are set too high for the stage they may be going through. We just need to gently guide them, allowing them to not be afraid of their abilities.

We as loving parents and grandparents must not be afraid to discipline our children. Asher and Kyndal both know that Papa and Nina will discipline them, but they still love us and constantly want to come stay with us.

God created each child with a unique personality to live for Him.

Yes, it is important to broaden your child’s horizons but don’t try to make her (or him) into someone you want instead of someone who God created. As a parent, prayerfully ask God for wisdom in how to train your child according to how God created them.

As parents, to be able to train your child in the way he should go (God’s way), you need to first have a close relationship with your Heavenly Father. Children are like sponges, the do exactly what they hear and see us do.

Just remember, Proverbs 22:6 show us what we have learned about the words “train” and “way”. Training a child involves starting at birth and consistently dedicating that child by teaching him or her according to the way they ought to go, which is God’s way. This training involves progressively narrowing that child’s conduct away from evil and towards God, so when that child is grown she or he will not turn from Him.

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Coffee With Pat Miniseries and Christian Faith Publishers..