Even as Jesus had to be patient with fully grown but spiritually immature men who seemed slow to respond to his training, so we must practice patience with our children — and ourselves. The very nature of training is that it usually involves immature individuals, which means it takes a long time to accomplish its goals!
Yet Jesus' experience with his disciples can also encourage us to persist, because we see that the long, frustrating process of training really does make a difference. No matter how futile the process may seem at times, most children eventually learn the truths and habits we are diligent to instill in them. As Proverbs reminds us, if we "train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it" (22:6).
Read more about this in The Ministry of Motherhood.
