Assuming that any dog wanted to bite off my fingers did not foster a dog-loving feeling in me. Alas, having children can change a person in unexpected ways….

When our daughter was young, she always wanted a dog. When we moved to a place with plenty of space for a dog to run around, we got a puppy named Izzy. Now, nine years later, we got another puppy who pals around with Izzy.

Training a puppy is a lot of work! Our daughter did an excellent job training sweet Izzy. Reminiscent of bringing home a subsequent child, we had forgotten that a puppy doesn’t start out well-mannered, just cute. Our puppy, Reggie, had to be taught what our family accepts as good dog behavior.

Being intentional and consistent has been beneficial with teaching positive dog traits. Our daughter lets us know what behavior she is working on so that we can do likewise as best we can. The other component in all this training is Izzy, who is like a mentor to Reggie. Reggie sees how Izzy acts, what she does and does not do, and follows her lead. The transition from a fresh, naive puppy into a mindful, gentle puppy has been amazing to watch.

While pondering this, it dawned on me that raising children in the Lord takes similar efforts.

To help our children act in ways that honor God, they need to learn about God and his ways. This does not happen by chance, nor from just a weekly lesson at church.

As parents:

-          we need to be intentional with instructing our children about God, lessons taught in the Bible, and why we need Jesus.

 -          we must be consistent with how we want our children to act and think - their character - coming from a godly perspective. We cannot expect good attitudes and behavior on Sundays and allow crabby, misbehavior during the week. We shouldn’t just hear God talked about on Sundays and not have him be in our conversations on the other days.

 -          we must also mentor our children. They are watching! Having a heart that beats for Jesus, allowing him to work in us, gets reflected in how we go about our day, and our children catch that. They imitate us, for better or worse. What a blessing, though, to have that be woven with forgiveness, love, and joy.

As you raise your children in the Lord, remember the wonderful truth that God, who began a good work in you and your children, will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). That’s the most valuable training!