Dad, Teach Me To Dance

I’ve had two dance lessons in my life. Square Dancing in the 4th grade, in Altas, Oklahoma. The second was with my wife, Rebecca for an anniversary. We went for a two hour ballroom dance, private, lesson. That’s pretty much the last time I danced, accept for weddings which I will venture out for slow dancing with my wife. It’s not that I don’t like dancing, or that I think it is wrong. I just don’t have any rhythm, so why subject people to a lot of awkwardness. 

I have, however, come to the conclusion that if I had a daughter I would have learned, mainly so that she would know how a true gentleman treats a woman (let’s not go where you’re thinking, I do treat my wife like a true gentleman, just not on the dance floor). There is just something about teaching them as a child and then the last dance at their wedding (stop it, I’m tearing up). At any rate I have three boys and I taught them how to play paintball.

Training your children to grow up as godly young men and women is much like dancing. If you do it right, keeping in the rhythm, and knowing how to lead, they will most likely turn out strong in their faith. Over the next couple of days I want to explore how to engage our children in the dance.

How do we successfully pass to the next generation a passion for God? Proverbs 22:6 instructs us, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This isn’t a promise, but a proverb, and proverbs are general rules, that if this done, the out come is most likely this. But what does it mean to train up a child in the way they should go? If you read the proverb in the context of proverbs chapter 22, there are some very instructive insights to the question. So I am going to do a no, no in the blog world, I am going to have you read a very long text. Here is Proverbs 22, and observe the highlighted words.

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.

The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.

The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.

The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.

Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.

He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.

The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.

The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!”

The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit; he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. Words of the Wise Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you.

Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge, to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you? Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, for the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them. Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you? Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set. Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”

Let’s list the highlighted words and phrases and see what kinds of instruction the proverb gives us for training up a righteous generation.

1. Good name (favor)
2. The Lord is maker of both the rich and poor
3. Fear of the Lord
1. God shows himself trustworthy
4. Training a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it.
5. Don’t go into debt (borrow is a slave to the lender)
1. Don’t go into debt
2. Prudent
6. Unjust people will reap what they sow
1. Seek what is right and true 
7. Don’t hang around with negative people
1. Don’t make friends with angry and wrathfilled people.
8. Pure heart
1. Stay away from pornography, prostitution, and immoral person
2. Guards his soul 
9. Gracious speech
1. Humility 
10. The Lord watch’s over those who seek knowledge
1. Apply your heart to God’s knowledge
11. Don’t be lazy
1. Work hard and develop a skill
12. Don’t spare the rod of discipline
13. Don’t oppress the poor
1. Don’t rob the poor 

Above is a road map to training up the next generation of godly followers of Jesus. The question is how to apply the characteristic in such a way that builds faith and doesn’t drive our children away. Within the above characteristics are some tools that will help. Tomorrow we will look at the disciplines that God has given to facilitate the process. 

Tomorrow “Spare the rod, waste a good stick... and other myths”. I’m just saying...