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

                                                                                                               Proverbs 22:6 

Today: Read Proverbs 22

Raising children in today’s culture can be challenging to say the least. But our passage today offers us a principle on which every Christian parent should cling. Train a child in the way he should go and even when he is old, he will not depart from it. Unfortunately, we live in a culture in which God’s design for life is being increasingly abandoned. Our culture often views scripture as antiquated and irrelevant. But the results of discarding biblical truth are evident everywhere you look. The destruction of the traditional family unit, a lack of respect for those in positions of authority (i.e. parents, teachers, law enforcements officers), and an ever increasing selfish cry for personal rights without the slightest consideration for the responsibility that comes with those privileges. But scripture gives us clear, basic, and easy to understand instructions on the roles and responsibilities of each individual in the home, in the church, and in society. So even as the culture continues to drift away from sound and reasonable instruction, adhering to these practical truths will not only secure our own family’s welfare but will act as a support structure for redeeming society as a whole.

Instructions For Older Men

But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

                                                                                                       Titus 2:1-2 

As we get older, we should be maturing. The maturation process should cover every area of life but especially our spiritual lives. We have all done things in our youth that we regret. But as we age, these life experiences should serve to make us wiser than we were before. Paul begins his instructions for older men with an appeal to be temperate. This simply means that we are to approach life in moderation and self-restraint. In addition, we should be dignified and sensible in our lifestyle. We are all aging. There is no escaping the reality that as we get older, we are moving towards eternity. The idea of aging with dignity seems to have been replaced with the “stay as young as you can for as long as you can” philosophy. We see people struggling to fight against the outward appearances of aging rather than embracing long life as a blessing from God. There is absolutely nothing wrong in taking care of the physical body that God has given us (in fact, I believe that it is a mandate from God), but as we take care of our outer man, we should not lose the dignity and maturity of our inner man. So older men should be mature, temperate, and sensible, but they also should be sound in the faith, in their love for God and others, and in their perseverance in following Jesus. Older men are those who we should be able to look up to as an example of what it means to be a Christian. Older men, are you setting a godly example for your children and grandchildren to follow?

Instructions For Older Women

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good…

                                                                                                     Titus 2:3 

Four instructions are given for the older women. Reverence should be the overarching characteristic of a mature Christian woman. This deep respect for God and for others should guide every other aspect of her life. Paul identifies two specific behaviors that characterize the opposite of godly womanhood. First, older women should refrain from gossip. A life truly has to be empty for it to be filled with the tearing down of others. Malice is the true nature of gossip. Secondly, Paul says that older women should avoid being enslaved to much wine. Drunkenness and addiction run contrary to a life devoted to God. Finally, older women should be able to spiritually teach their daughters, granddaughters, and others in whom they have influence. This godly instruction acts to secure the spiritual welfare of the next generation. 

Instructions For Young Women

…so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

                                                                                                   Titus 2:4-5 

Paul continues his thought on the instruction of the older women. The picture that Paul is painting is that this godly instruction will assist a wife in understanding her God-given role in the family, namely loving and honoring her husband and loving and instructing her children. Parents, can we truly say that we love our children if we do not raise them to love and honor the Lord in their lives? We do our children the greatest disservice when we minimize the importance of knowing Jesus Christ. I ran into a statement that I believe encapsulates this idea:

“Our greatest concern for our children should be that they grow to love God above all else.”

Now contrast that idea with the philosophy of our culture. We push our children to be scholars, athletes, and materially successful men and women. But all of this is futile if our children miss out on the real meaning of life, knowing God and enjoying His favor. Paul’s instructions to the older women are to instruct the younger women so that they will be sensible, godly wives, mothers, and eventually, grandmothers. The culture will scream against this concept and will counter that women should be empowered to be strong, self-sufficient members of society, enjoying equality with men. I do not believe that a woman has to give up pursuit of a career in order to be a godly wife and mother. But to ignore these instructions, labeling them “oppressive” to women is both shortsighted and unwise. The consequences of abandoning God’s directives can bring grave results and a breakdown of the entire family. 

Instructions For Young Men 

Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.                                                           

                                                                                                            Titus 2:6-8 

Finally, Paul addresses the younger men. You may have noticed that interwoven in the instructions to all four groups is the idea of being reverent, dignified, and sensible. Young men are to be an example to those in whom they have influence. Everything they do in speech and in life should demonstrate that Christ has a position of priority in their lives. The example set should be for all to see so that if anyone does bring ridicule, it will only act to shame the mocker.

We live in a culture that is increasingly growing more and more hostile to the gospel and the truth of God’s word. We have replaced God’s instructions with our own musings and philosophies and we are paying the price for it. I will leave it up to you to decide at what point a young man/woman becomes an older one, but regardless of where you draw that line, let’s invest our lives and efforts into the lives of our children and grandchildren knowing that as we do, we are laying a foundation for which they can build a life and an eternity!