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How might the book of Proverbs be useful in training young people?
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I have heard many older people say wisdom is wasted on the old. I also hear and have said myself, if I knew then what I know now. If young people were to really study the book of proverbs, to see what it is about, these are lessons that they may not have to learn the “hard way”.
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Life is hard, choices are many, and young people will have the opportunity (and responsibility) to make choices, some of them difficult, many of them which will last a lifetime. The Proverbs are good to take into a young heart and mind, but more importantly is getting young people into the Proverbs, to live them for themselves. I would think it important to challenge youth to explain what a proverb means and guide them in any misapplication or fill in missing understanding. That would help give them “ownership” in the Proverbs.
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The book of Proverbs provides many great practical advices for parents, teachers and leaders training young people. A lot of the issues young people go through are discussed in the book of proverbs. Topics such as making wise decisions, choosing the right friends and the importance of of being diligent with work are some of the topics mentioned in the book of proverbs.
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Most young people are just experiencing life issues for the first time. The wisdom or advise of someone that is older and had experienced many of lives issues and has learned from them can be very helpful in giving advice if the audience is willing to listen.
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How might the book of Proverbs be useful in training young people
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
The book of Proverbs is extremely useful in training young people. I have had the privilege of teaching in a Christian school in Japan for the past fourteen years, and I have been working with 8th graders on a daily basis. During homeroom every morning, I have been using the book of Proverbs with those young students during the past 14 years.
The book of Proverbs is extremely useful because both Christians or non-Christians can easily understand the contents of the book. The topics covered in the book, written 3000 years ago, are still relevant today. The topic of making right decisions in our lives – especially how to use our tongues and maintaining positive relationships – is very relevant for the adolescents going through puberty – learning to make right decisions on their own. The book also recommends us that we ought to be humble and listen to other people’s advice and instructions. Once a non-Christian middle school student shared with me that he had enjoyed reading the book of proverbs because he could feel that he was being led in the right path.
The book also teaches us the importance of humility before God. It teaches us that, even though we study very hard, our knowledge will still be limited. We do not know what will happen next – say the pandemic as an example. By reading the book of Proverbs, we can understand that God is in control and that we ought to submit and trust in His care and guidance – through prayers and reading of His word.