Train Up

There is a principle in life that is taught in the Scriptures that can remind us about the importance of the choices we make - it's the principle of sowing and reaping. Galatians 6 states:
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Jesus teaches about the seed of the Word of God in what is known as the parable of the sower.  And, some seeds stop short of their fulfillment, but those that are cared for will produce fruit for the Kingdom.  We have to make sure we are faithful to care for our own hearts and the Biblical principles that have been entrusted to us - we can be careful to allow His truth to govern the decisions we make and our adherence to that truth to be seen in the way we live our lives.

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The following passage of Scripture, from Isaiah 55, can remind us of God's wisdom and power,
working to bring His Word to pass:
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

The presence of Christ activated in our lives will produce fruit to His glory.  The Bible teaches us to not forget the benefits of the Lord, according to Psalm 103.  Our relationship with Christ will produce a life of joy and satisfaction as we abide in Him.

The relationship between faith and the quality of life that people live is documented in a new study out of Harvard.  According to the Family Research Council website:

The Bible tells us that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9). So often what passes for "news" is really nothing more than a refresher. A case in point is a new study from published this month in the American Journal of Epidemiology about the link between religious upbringing and subsequent health and well-being.

One not-so-surprising finding of the study, which was done by Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is that, "Compared with no attendance, at least weekly attendance of religious services was associated with greater life satisfaction and positive affect, a number of character strengths, lower probabilities of marijuana use and early sexual initiation, and fewer lifetime sexual partners." 

The article also states:

The study's author observes, "These findings are important for both our understanding of health and our understanding of parenting practices. Many children are raised religiously, and our study shows that this can powerfully affect their health behaviors, mental health, and overall happiness and well-being."

According to a Forbes article, the study followed children and teens brought up in religious practices, including church attendance, prayer, and meditation.  Participants were studied for 8-14 years, into their 20's.  The article says:

It turned out that those who attended religious services at least once a week as children or teens were about 18% more likely to report being happier in their 20s than those who never attended services. They were also almost 30% more likely to do volunteer work and 33% less likely to use drugs in their 20s as well.

But what was interesting was that it wasn’t just about how much a person went to services, but it was at least as much about how much they prayed or meditated in their own time. Those who prayed or meditated every day also had more life satisfaction, were better able to process emotions, and were more forgiving compared to those who never prayed/meditated. They were also less likely to have sex at an earlier age and to have a sexually transmitted infection.

There are a number of wonderful takeaways from this Harvard survey, the first of which is that the Bible promises that the Word of God will not return void.  Every person has the ability to exercise his or her free will to accept or reject the teachings of Scripture, but the Scripture that is planted in hearts has the potential to take root and produce fruit.  So, even though we may not see the end result in various circumstances, by speaking and teaching the principles of God's Word, we interject the wonderful dynamic that these principles can have an effect.  I think that's the heart of that Scripture verse about training up a child in the way he or she should go - time-honored, powerful principles can have a powerful impact in shaping the values and beliefs of people who have been trained in them.

We can also reflect on the Bible's teaching about cause and effect, or as we see throughout its pages the principles of sowing and reaping.  The choices we make, or have made earlier in life, have an effect on the trajectory of our lives today.  We can be challenged to allow God's Word and Spirit to determine how we are to order our lives.