My head was sweaty, my stomach was aching, and I was sprawled out on the couch. I could barely muster up the strength to stand up on my own.
I was sick.
Growing up, I hated being sick. I hated the feeling, the nausea, and the lack of energy. The only good part about it was my mom always taking care of me. She would fix up my favorite toast and let me sleep to my heart’s content.
But this time, my mom wasn’t around. I was home from school with my dad, who had a slightly different approach when it came to sickness.
Of course, he wanted me to feel better, but he didn’t want me getting used to caving in every time the Enemy attacked me. As a sophomore in high school, I didn’t think much about fighting the devil and standing up for God’s promises over my life. But my dad knew that this could not continue. Once I was out on my own, I would need to know how to believe God’s Word for myself. My dad was determined to teach and train me not only how to have faith but also how to stand on my own.
So, up we went, walking up and down our hallway, declaring scriptures of healing and life. As much as I did not like it at the time, I can now see how this prepared me to receive healing. (It did more for me than toast ever could!) Acting on what I believed was such a powerful lesson to learn.
On the Gospel Truth, Andrew has been teaching from his series Proverbs: Timeless Wisdom for a Life of Blessing. He shares from Proverbs 22:6, which says,
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Commenting on this verse, Andrew says, “Boy, this is a powerful scripture, but I do need to point out that there’s a difference between training and teaching. There’s a lot of people that will teach their children what’s right and they’ll say, ‘You need to do this,’ but they actually train them in disobedience.”
How is that possible? Because those parents don’t act on what they’re teaching their children. They don’t lead by example.
After I graduated from high school in Madison, Georgia, I made the bold move to Colorado to go to Charis Bible College. I didn’t have my dad with me, but I did have his training and example. And because of all the ways he guided me in walking out my faith while I was growing up, I was able to stand on my own two feet, equipped to live a life based on faith and not just principles.
Keep watching the Gospel Truth this month to gain more timeless wisdom for a life of blessing. It just might train you to act on your own faith too.
