Who wouldn’t love excellent food? The key to exquisite cuisine is the right choice of ingredients. Far be it that a superlative chef would serve a viand that had been mixed with an inferior or a rotten ingredient. He puts his name and reputation at stake.
In the same breath, Paul warns, Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”1
Exactly 27 years to date, we bore our 1st child. We wanted a son and God obliged us. Thus, his name Johanan—which literally means God is gracious.2 Stella and I agreed that we shall train him up in the fear of the Lord. From that day we vowed to serve the LORD.3
In hindsight, for the different stages of a child’s growth, I penned the acronym CHILD:
Care. This stage was the helpless baby year; we gave him no less than 24/7 attention. He was treasured like a priceless gem.
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! . . . 4
Hone. The toddler years was the season for character formation. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.5
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.6
Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.7
Instruct. We introduced skills during the age of reason. Each skill was like a building stone set one after another. It helped build confidence.
Even Mary treasured up all the growing up experiences with his son as Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and with man.8
Love. The most vulnerable years were the pre-teen and teenage years which demanded unconditional love. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives too.9
Deploy. We had laid the foundations; now, the faith has to be tested. Easier said?! But at this stage, we hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.10
His Word says, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”11
For freedom Christ has set us free, stand firm therefore, and do no submit again to a yoke of slavery.12
Notes:
1. 1 Corinthians 15:33
2. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Johanan.html#.XoBEAeozbn8
3. Joshua 24:14-15
4. Psalm 127:3-5
5. Proverbs 22:6
6. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
7. Psalm 34:11
8. Luke 2:51-52
9. 1 John 3:16
10. Hebrews 10:23
11. Isaiah 55:10-11
12. Galatians 5:1
