The Shunammite woman had it easy. As a loving, nurturing mother, it was easy for her to teach her son about God from the start. He would easily believe it if she acted her faith, which she did. There are a variety of ages and stages that children go through. Here is where the Bible only gives guidelines, such as Proverbs 22:6:
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is older he will not depart from it.
It is up to us to learn specifics at times, like how to defuse an argument between children who demand the same toy.. We must be careful of two things, though.
First, we must avoid worldly views. Much of psychology is connected with the world’s view of things. This, as we’ll see later, is a view that ignores God. On the other hand, we must also never put a Christian leader above God. Yes, I’d like you to read this work. I pray that what I’m saying is Biblical in every way. But, never mistake me for God. And, don’t mistake anyone else for God, either. Even the most famous writers have made mistakes; some more than others, of course.
How do you tell what to listen to? This may sound silly based on what I just said. However, I’m going to recommend a book series. Dr. Gary Chapman wrote them, and he is an excellent writer. His books concern the “love languages” that each of us has. And, he makes sure to stay true to the Bible, which is crucial.
We each have a different personality. We know this from the Bible. In just one family, we see that Peter was loud and boastful, while his brother, Andrew, was far different. Andrew was a helper, and loved to work behind the scenes.
Dr. Chapman explains this in a way that is Biblical and insightful. He insists that the best families have children who listen well and obey the rules – which is Biblical. But, he also insists that families must model forgiveness, grace, and mercy – which is also Biblical. We’re not training animals here. God created us in his own image; we’re different from animals. Anyway, a good balance of each is crucial.
It’s important to test the spirits to see if something is of God. It’s also vital, of course, to pray. That goes back to humility; which is important for prayer.
