Psalm 78:5-7  5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:  7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

The Lord gave us instructions to teach our children his commandments and as a nation of people we have failed to do so. This has been an ongoing problem and as a result of us not teaching our children the commandments of God, there is a high rate of teenage pregnancy, gang affiliation, stealing and murder amongst our youth.

The word of God lets us know that it is absolutely necessary to start the process of raising our children in the admonition of the Lord from infancy.

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

“The way he should go” is learning to apply God’s commandments through the understanding of Jesus Christ in our everyday lives, as this is the whole duty of man. Read Ecclesiastes 12:13

In our communities throughout the four corners of the earth wherever we are scattered, this problem is evident. A lot of parents are not around to raise their children in the way they should go; to correct them when they are doing wrong and consequently the children are left to themselves. Many of these children go on to become gang members, end up going to jail, get killed at a very young age, or create mayhem in their neighbourhoods' causing the parents shame.

Proverbs 29:15  The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

A lot of our people take heed to many different philosophies and foolish reasoning’s of men that teach us to raise our children contrary to what the Bible says. Some examples would be, giving our children time out when they do wrong or simply ignoring it. These things do not work and never will.

The scriptures explain to us that spanking (not abusing) our children and explaining to them what commandment they broke to get the spanking, is a part of raising them.

Proverbs 23:13-14 13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Proverbs 22:15  Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Proverbs 19:18  Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

The scriptures also tell us how to chastise our children, as to not abuse them.

Ecclesiasticus 30:12  (Apocrypha) Bow down his neck while he is young, and beat him on the sides while he is a child, lest he wax stubborn, and be disobedient unto thee, and so bring sorrow to thine heart.

  Examples

As previously stated, the process of raising our children starts from when they are infants.  As an example, if you have a toddler and you tell them not to touch the stove and they do, you should not ignore that, but rather correct it, as per the following scripture.

Ecclesiasticus 30:11  (Apocrypha) Give him no liberty in his youth, and wink not at his follies.

Another example might be a child who is older and attending high school - where the peer pressure is high for them to get involved with gangs or have intercourse. You should instruct your child that God commanded a man and a woman to come together as husband and wife and not have multiple partners, or experiment to find the right one, as per the following scripture.

Mark 10:6-8  6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

In the case of joining gangs, you might instruct your child of the following scriptures.

Exodus 23:2  Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

If we apply these scriptures in raising our children, we would not have the depressing and disoriented communities that we see - Places where young children are murdering each other at an alarming rate due to gang involvement, drug territories and the like. Robbery - that puts fear and dread on elderly people. Many of the children that get involved in these activities will tell you that their parents were never around and the only life they’ve known are the “streets.” Some may have been brought up by their grandparents or in a single parent home, where the parent has to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. The parent never made time to properly raise their children in the admonition of the Lord. This is still not an excuse for not teaching our children the word of God.

Ephesians 6:4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

2 Timothy 1:5  When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Timothy was taught the Holy Scriptures by his grandmother and mother. Parents have to repent according to the Bible and do the commandments that they are teaching their children. Otherwise it will not work and children will see you as a hypocrite.
2 Timothy 3:14-15  14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

It is our prayer that people take heed to these scriptures and apply them, in hopes that the escalating violence and depressing state of our people be changed through repentance and teaching our children the commandments of God, as they are the future.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.21But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

All praises and honor goes to God through his only begotten son Jesus Christ.