Do As I Say Doesn't Always Work

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart."  Proverbs 22:6
I believe this verse is one of the most convicting verses issued to parents in Scripture.  Why?  Because is places the onus on us as parents to model right for our children.  I used to think this verse meant I was to teach my kids all the right things.  In other words, teach my kids all the proper "does and don'ts" that parents teach and if they didn't follow through with my teachings as an adult, that would be their fault.  I thought I was supposed to send them to the right schools, make sure they are surrounded by good influences and take them to church.  All these arenas are all good teaching environments and we should do that; however, this verse is not talking about teaching, it is talking about training.  The two are fundamentally different.  Teaching gives you the know how, the  nuts and bolts if you will.  Training means to give an example or pattern to follow.  Training gives you an idea of what the product is supposed to look like.  A person can read about flying and learn, but until he sees it modeled, he won't actually know how to fly a plane.  A teacher can go to college to get instruction in her field, but until she sees it in action, she will be ineffective.  I taught for several years and there were many things I did because I saw a favorite teacher of mine do it.  You may teach you son to be nice to women, but if you treat your wife with disrespect, that will stay programmed in his mind and later acted out.  Every day you live, you have an opportunity in the classroom of life to model what a good person is to your children.  "Do as I say and not as I do" is a nice quote but it is fallacy.  Oh, what an opportunity we have as parents to paint a good example on the canvass of the minds of our children.  Their minds are like computers, only able to perform the functions programmed in.  What kind of programming are you  installing into the minds of your children?  What example are you modeling for them.  Remember, in the end, they will only do as you have done and not what you have said.