Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.    Proverbs 22:6 HCSB

These days I get to spend a couple days a week doing my favorite thing and that’s holding my 4-month-old granddaughter. As much as I am able to bask in the sweetness of this child, the realist in me knows that someday we will have to expose her to the world.  We will have to send her to school and trust others to care for her for several hours a day.

I can’t help but think how different things are from when I went to school on my first day. I wonder how they will be in another four years. I’ve often heard it said, it takes a village to raise a child. The origin of this phrase can actually be traced back to an African proverb which states that it is not the sole responsibility of the parents, but of the community, to raise a child.

While I do think environment plays an important role, I tend to disagree with that statement. I don’t think it takes a village; I think it takes a church. I grew up living next door to my grandparents. They were my childcare when my parents worked.

I also grew up in church. My mom saw to it that I was there with her every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. It was not optional.

I’ve been let down by friends in my community. Some have even been charged with crimes that shocked me and left me wondering how I missed that. With that being said, I would not trust my village or my community with my granddaughter.

As a child, my earliest memories of church are being in the nursery with Mrs. Nell Jones. She was a dear, sweet lady that kept me and those I would grow up with safe in the nursery while our parents attended Sunday morning services. I remember being transitioned into “big church” when I was around 4 years old. I was taught to sit quietly and do my best to listen to the services. I was allowed to write or color, but not to interrupt.

While it was an easier time back then, I dealt with things like bullying and temptation to do things I shouldn’t do. But I’m happy to say it didn’t have a negative impact on me. I attribute this to church. I learned from an early age that Jesus loves me. I learned to follow him even if none go with me. I learned that God loved me so much, He gave his only Son so that If I just believed in Him, I would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). I learned about how God provided for me and protected me and took care of me and even took vengeance on my enemies through Psalm 23.

I learned all these things in my early years of Sunday School. When I faced the cruelty of this world, I already knew God had my back. I didn’t let what other people thought or did bother me as much. I have always had a hard time understanding how people get through life without trusting in God.

If you want to do something good for your child or children, introduce them to Jesus from an early age. Find a good church family in a Bible teaching church that will help you to teach them about Jesus and the Bible. Raise them as the Bible instructs you to raise them. There really is a manual on child rearing and it’s found in the Bible.

Teach them to always be mindful of the Bible and Jesus (Deuteronomy 11:19).

This world is cold and cruel. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:16, “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.”

Before you send your children out like sheep among the wolves, give them a solid relationship with the lamb.

Have a great day!