Have you ever experienced information overload?
I’m a planner by nature. If my family takes a trip to a location we haven’t visited before, I want to check out everything the area has to offer – all the hotels, restaurants, and sites we might want to see. But it doesn’t take long until I just feel overwhelmed with ALL the information.
There are so many websites to check out that I could get lost on the internet for days. How do I know which reviews are reliable? Is that tourist attraction really worth our time? Is that the best hotel rate I’m going to find?
Here’s my point. Sometimes we’re so overwhelmed with information that we don’t know where to start.
As Christian moms, we want to raise wise children. This doesn’t necessarily involve book smarts; rather, we want our kids to make thoughtful choices and have discernment when making decisions. I’m glad to know that we don’t have to search all around to find the best ways to teach our children wisdom.
The book of Proverbs gives us advice for every area of life, from relationships to money to how to conduct business to generosity and self-control.
Below I listed eight easy verses from Proverbs, each containing a basic principle you can teach to your children. They’re all fairly short, short enough that you could even memorize them together as a family after you discuss them. (I’ve included a free printable of these verses at the bottom of this post.)
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Here are eight important verses from Proverbs to teach your children.
1. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. ~Proverbs 13:20
Choose your friends wisely. This is important when our children are young, but even more so as they hit the middle school and high school years. We become like those people whom we spend our time with.
2. Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight. ~Proverbs 12:22
Tell the truth always, even when it’s hard – and it will be sometimes, even as adults. We want God to delight in us, and he does as we tell the truth and treat others fairly.
3. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. ~Proverbs 16:32
Learning to control your temper takes hard work and the help of the Holy Spirit. The second part of this proverb deals with any area of self-control. Handling your emotions wisely is more valuable than being physically strong.
4. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. ~Proverbs 13:4
In other words, the lazy man wants lots of things but has nothing, while the diligent person will be made rich. Work hard, be thorough, and you’ll be rewarded. Gaining wealth isn’t in and of itself a worthy life goal, but it’s typically a byproduct of hard work and perseverance.
5. He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. ~Proverbs 22:9
Bountiful here means “generous.” When you work hard – as we talked about above – you’ll be able to be generous, which brings further blessings on your life.
6. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold. ~Proverbs 22:1
Your reputation is important. As Benjamin Franklin said, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”
Proverbs 20:11 says something similar. Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
7. Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. ~Proverbs 19:20
Listen to those who are older and wiser than you, and you will learn a lot. We want our children to have teachable hearts. It’s important that we parents put wise people – from teachers to coaches to pastors – in their lives as other voices to guide them into truth.
8. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. ~Proverbs 21:23
How much trouble we would all avoid if we could control what we say! While it will take a lifetime to work on this, it’s good to help our kids begin to understand the importance of the words they use. Those words can wound or heal, hurt or help.
When our kids were younger, I loved having stories that illustrated the principles in Proverbs. Two of our favorite books were Wisdom and the Millers and Those Kids in Proverbsville. Both of them have short stories that are perfect for family devotions or bedtime stories.
I created a free printable of these eight Proverbs if you’d like to have an easy way to reference it.
Click here to access the free printable.
I hope you’ll find these eight verses from Proverbs helpful as you teach your children wisdom from the Bible. Is there another verse from Proverbs that you would add to this list?
Related Posts:
10 Bible Verses for Little Ones
10 Bible Verses for Teens to Memorize
10 Ways to Help Your Child Memorize Scripture
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