This is part 5 of the UP Series – the last part. I hope you’ve enjoyed these devotions!

I didn’t think we should end this week without talking about a verse that permeates our Christian culture in regards to our kids and happens to be painted on a sheep outside. I’m talking about Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV):

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Train UP.

Chances are you’ve heard that phrase no fewer than 5,478 million times. I’ve heard it that many times, and I’m not even a parent. Unless you count being a mom to a crazy dog who has an unnaturally gross obsession with bathroom trash. Again, I digress.

Fall of 2007 was a big semester for me. I started student teaching that semester, and the day I got my assignment, I was very nervous. When I actually opened my assignment, my nervousness jumped from butterflies in my stomach to almost having to look for the nearest restroom. I was going to have the privilege of spending eight weeks in fourth grade, and eight weeks in kindergarten. Kindergarten! They’re babies! They haven’t yet learned that Kleenex isn’t the nearest sleeve, but an actual tissue for their nose. They don’t have full control over their bodily functions (don’t ask). And they cry for their mommy all the time!

As it turns out, Miss Hernandez cries too. Because each time something outrageous happened, I had the almost irresistible urge to run out the door and to my parents’ house. Apparently that’s frowned upon though. It took a few days, and more than a few tears for it to sink in: the beginning of a school year is not so much about the academics, but about the training. And once they’re finally trained and doing things the way we want them done, they up and move to a different teacher.

Think about it: if you’re in training for a brand new job, are you expected to know everything? No of course not. You have a supervisor who teaches you the different parts of your job as you need to know it. There are built-in allowances for mistakes. Shouldn’t it be like that for our students? Isn’t God that way with us?

Very little outside of teaching has grown my relationship with Christ the way teaching has. Something about seeing small children learning how to do their job gives me pause as I do mine. Am I truly training them to do their best, to be successful when I no longer have a say in their lives? I pray that you and I train these students well, not just to be successful academically, but to follow after God wholeheartedly.

And how do we train? I’m glad you asked. I think you’ll find this familiar:

• Train UP by giving UP. Realize that those students we have are on loan, not only from their parents, but also from God. G
• Train Up by cleaning UP. Choose to renew your mind consistently, and let your attitude reflect that of Christ’s.
• Train Up by praying UP. Your students need you to pray for them. Stand in the gap for them as they deal with many challenges and temptations.
• Train UP by speaking UP. Be your students’ advocate as only you can. Be the encourager they may not get anywhere else.

And by “training up a child” in this way, you train yourself to become more Christlike.

Part 4 of UP Series

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I am a person of many words. I love to talk. I love to share stories and have different discussions over different topics at all times. In fact one of my favorite activities is to head over to a family member’s house just to visit. There is just so much to discuss! Guess what I got in trouble for the most while in school? That’s right – talking. Even though I knew my place and generally did what I was supposed to, inevitably something would pop in my head that needed to be shared right that instant. My teachers were not always appreciative of this particular character trait of mine. Clearly I was just trying to help them out by extending their patience levels.

I’ve often wondered how different my life would have been like had social media been around when I was growing up. And let me be the first to say, I’m glad it wasn’t. I’m glad I learned to have actual conversations with people, not hide behind a screen or feel more at home with an electronic device in my hand rather than a person in front of me. The world was not ready for the random thoughts of a 12-year old Bethany. I’m not even positive that world is ready for the random thoughts of 29-year old Bethany, but oh well. Here we are! With the popularity of social media, including blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, what has initially been a fantastic idea that could have wonderful repercussions has turned into a mess of snide comments and volatile behavior. In a world that has put all of its eggs in the basket of technology (and don’t get me wrong, I LOVE technology), it’s time to Speak UP, both literally and figuratively.

• Literally – Speak UP for the people who can’t speak for themselves.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is that of Queen Esther. She was placed in the palace “for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) Handpicked by God for a special purpose, and that purpose required her opening her mouth and speaking up.

Daniel too spoke up in regards to his diet. He politely asked the overseer if he and his three friends could have a different diet – healthier than the one they were being offered. There was no rudeness in Daniel’s request, no insistence on his way, no threats. It was just a simple request. It dawned on me recently that that request may have been the catalyst that paved the way for the favor that Daniel experienced while in Babylon. He too spoke up, and many other Jews received blessings as the result of Daniel’s obedience.

And Paul? Well, let’s be honest. By all accounts, I think we can all agree that Paul can be described as a walking megaphone. He was not afraid to open his mouth and speak. But still, he didn’t run over people. He knew the right way to speak to all different personality types.

God will rarely ask us to do something within our comfort zone. Sometimes that may include speaking up for those who can’t do it themselves. I love what Christine Caine posted a while back that I think of often:

“Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.”

• Figuratively – Speak UP to encourage others.

There’s no one here that would disagree that we are inundated with negativity. We live in a world where information is just a click away, yet many times we get more than we bargained for. There has always been sin and strife in the world, but thanks to social media, we are now more aware of it than ever. No wonder people feel hopeless. No wonder people feel alone. But we have hope! We have Jesus! We have the One who is known for raising the dead! Why wouldn’t our conversations be sweeter? Why wouldn’t our words turn people to Jesus? Why wouldn’t we be the person to invoke positive change into the lives of others?

Actions do speak louder than words, but words are still necessary. My dad tells the story of a Christian man who felt burdened to share the Gospel with is coworker. Because this man was kind of shy and uncomfortable with speaking up, he decided that he would wait to see if his coworker would notice anything different about him and ask why. After a few weeks went by, this coworker went to his friend and said, “I’ve noticed that there’s something different about you.” This man was so excited and was thinking Yes! He’s going to ask me about God. This is my open door! Outwardly he was very calm and just nodded as he waited for his coworker to continue. His coworker then asked, “Are you a vegetarian?” Not quite the difference he was looking to make.

Words are necessary. And our words matter. Look at Proverbs 18:20-21 (NLT):

“Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”

Part 3 of the UP Series

So far we’ve looked at –

• Give UP – giving up our need for control to let God work in and through us, and
• Clean UP – cleaning up the parts of our lives to allow God’s love to shine through.

Today let’s move on to our next phrase: Pray UP

This should be a slam dunk, a walk in the park, or a piece of cake. Choose the metaphor you like best. But I will be the first to admit that the head knowledge of what I know I should do in regards to prayer doesn’t always transfer to my actions.

Let’s take a pop quiz. When I ask a question, give me what you believe is the most accurate answer. Are you ready? Let’s go.

1. Is smoking bad for you?
2. Is eating too much sugar okay?
3. Is it possible to be inactive, eat unhealthy foods, and live a long, healthy life?
4. Last question: What is the most doctor/health expert-recommended way to lose weight and be healthy?

So when the doctor is telling us that we need to make healthier choices, does that really come as a surprise to us? And so it tends to be with our prayer life. We know what we are supposed to do, yet sometimes prayer remains at the bottom of our list of strategies of solving our problems. A few years ago, a teacher said something that made me laugh, mostly because the phrase hit a nerve. She said that when she worked at a particular Christian summer camp, all the workers had a phrase that they repeated often: “Has it come to that?” It was always in response to someone sharing that they had struggled to find answers before finally praying for help. I can imagine the conversation now: “I finally realized that God is the one who could help me.” “Has it come to that? Has it come to actually praying about it?” A funny phrase – a not-so-funny lesson to learn.

Or maybe we’re the opposite. Maybe God is our first request in the middle of a snag, but not our first praise when something goes our way.

I know all the Sunday School answers: Prayer is just communication with God. We should pray every day. You should pray at all times. You should not pray only when things are bad. Yadda, yadda, yadda, yadda…

But still I struggle. Look at the wonderful examples in the Bible. Adam and Eve had direct contact with God. Daniel prayed three times a day, even when the consequence was losing his life. Job continued to pray even when everything and everyone except his nagging wife was taken from him. On second thought, maybe that’s why he continued to pray. Lord, take her from me. And do you really think I’m going to compare my prayer life to Jesus’?

Um, no. In fact I’m more like Peter, James, and John when Jesus asked them,

“Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?” (Matthew 26:41, NLT)

But there a few things that I strive to do that I hope can be of interest and help.

• Say breath prayers.

This advice, which I dearly love and practice often, comes from Nelson Searcy who wrote a book on worship titled Revolve. (pg. 48) Breath prayers are just that – quick, breath prayers that we pray throughout the day. I’ve become quite adept at this, considering most of my prayers sound like “Lord, please don’t let me say anything stupid.” I’ll let you know if that prayer gets answered. Don’t hold your breath.

• Make it personal.

God saved YOU. You have a unique story and relationship with Him. Don’t compare your journey with anyone else’s.

• Give God your best at your best.

I’m not an early riser. Mornings for me are usually reserved for breath prayers while I run around the house trying to find everything I need for the day. The evening is usually my most favorite time of day and when I feel at my best. What’s your best part of the day? (To be clear, I do think there’s something to be said for starting your day with Jesus. But the key is being intentional about it.)

There are so many verses and examples that we could look at, but the one I think of often is when Jesus gave instructions to the disciples in Matthew 6:7: “But when ye pray…”

When you pray, not if you pray.

Give UP, clean UP, pray UP.