The NIV 365 Day Devotional

Leading Our Children

God calls parents to lead their children. He tells them that if they start off a child in the way they should go, when they are old they will not turn from it (Pr 22:6). And just how does a parent become a good leader for a child? Partly by focusing on three key words:

1. Modeling: Abraham Lincoln said, “There is but one way to train up a child in the way he should go, and that is to travel it yourself.” A good example is worth a thousand sermons. What you do has more impact on your child than all the lectures you could ever give.
2. Management: Good management is the ability to discern the uniqueness of a child and teach him or her accordingly. We are to train up a child in the way he should go. This may mean we will have to adapt our style, depending on the child’s temperament and wiring.
3. Memories: Parents should create memories. Why? Because memories are more important than things. Note that the verse says, “When they are old, they will not turn...” This implies that the child retains some memories of his early experiences and embraces them later in life.

Taken from The NIV Maxwell Leadership Bible.