You look across the dinner table and see your child looking back at you. By a certain age, he or she has probably expressed an interest in a certain job or career. Usually, such ideas are fanciful, and are either related to something seen on television or the same job held by you or your spouse.

Your son may want to grow up to be a firefighter, lawyer or doctor. Your daughter may hope to be a teacher, veterinarian or ballerina. Such youthful dreams will likely change over time, but whatever their aspirations, you naturally want success—and happiness—for your children. You want them to experience a fulfilling life and a rewarding career.

But have you ever realized that you are vital to their success? You can offer them knowledge that, unlike the suggestions of popular psychology, will lead them to true and lasting success.

If you instill this knowledge deep within them, creating the basis for their thinking, you will have happy and well-developed children!

What Is Success?

People often link success to wealth, power or fame. But is this success? Famous people, who often have both power and wealth, are usually the same ones who are miserable. Their problems, addictions and struggles are covered by television and entertainment magazines. As stated in a well-known song, “Money can’t buy me love.” And judging by the lives of the rich and famous, neither can it buy happiness.

Such people are not a reflection of true success. One who is truly successful will be fulfilled and happy. So, if the common perception of success is wrong, then what is it?

The main reason most do not understand success is that they assume it is a quality or trait one has from birth. But success is not an innate “talent.” Rather, it is directly related to a desire to produce, grow, learn and achieve.

If success is not a natural ability, then how does one “get” it? Is there a formula?

Amazingly, there is! There are definite laws to achieving—and instilling—success! If you instill a desire—and the laws to success—in your children, they will succeed!

Teaching these principles will ensure that they become happy, fulfilled, successful adults.

Setting Goals

The first great law to success is setting the right goal.

Thousands of self-help books exist that describe how to set and reach one’s goals. Many times, they discuss different levels of goals—short, medium and long-term—yet often miss the all-important step of setting the correct goal. Even the few books that attempt this never mention the role of character or purpose of life in goal-setting.

Teach your children about different kinds of goals. Some are harmful to them; others are greatly beneficial. For instance, they will naturally focus on “getting” material things.

These goals must be replaced with right, proper and godly goals. They should want to help those around them. Teach them to set goals that include out-flowing concern for others. Children do not naturally know this—it must be taught to them! In fact, the four most important parental duties are to teach, teach, teach and teach!

It is important that you do not give your children everything on a “silver platter.” This will make them believe that they do not need goals or have to work hard. By setting goals—and working to achieve them—children will develop a proper work ethic and confidence.

Exercising the Mind

Having first set the right goal, one is then able to focus on how to achieve that goal. And one of the main keys to doing so is embodied in the second law of success: education.

As with any muscle in the body, the human brain needs to be exercised. In fact, research shows that those who continue mental exercise as they grow older are far less likely to develop diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

God’s Word states, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). If you teach your children when they are young, they will exercise their minds throughout their lives.

Teaching them to think can be done in a variety of ways. Teach them to reflect on what they say and do. Teach them to analyze questions and thoughtfully respond.

Encourage your children to enjoy learning. Make it fun! If, at a very young age, you seed their minds with a craving for understanding and knowledge, your children will look at any problem and learn how to solve it.

It has been said that knowledge is power. By encouraging a desire to learn, you are giving your children the ability to harness that power.

Maintaining the Body

Realize, however, that knowledge is power only if used. And this requires taking care of the body as well as the mind. This introduces the third law of success: good health.

The role of parents in their children’s health is often overlooked. As with instilling a desire to learn, you must also instill the knowledge of how—and what—to eat. No matter what excuses may be put forth, your children’s health is your responsibility. You control what they eat and, to a large degree, their health!

If one has set the correct goal, and even becomes educated about that goal, he is still stopped in his tracks if he becomes sick. If a person is tired, weak or always sick, he cannot accomplish much. With children, health also directly affects the second law. If they are not healthy, they will not be able to attend school, and will miss out on receiving a full education.

Think about what you feed your family. Do you follow the principle of staying on the outer walls of a supermarket—where the raw fruits, vegetables, meats and grains are kept? Or do you only shop in the aisles—where much of the processed, sugary and least healthful foods are generally located? Do you reward your children with healthy treats—or empty calories? An entire article could be written showing the myriad of childhood health problems relating to a bad diet. Do you want your children to have attention problems or Type-2 diabetes? You can prevent such things by monitoring what they eat.

Remember this principle: “Grains sustain, vegetables build, fruits cleanse, and herbs help to heal.”

Pushing the Body and Mind

The fourth law springs from the previous one. When your children are healthy, they have more energy. When properly focused, this energy is drive. This is the desire to work and achieve.

Are you beginning to see how teaching your children right goals builds a framework for success? Having a good work ethic—wanting to work for success—is the basis behind drive.

A world-record-breaking swimmer once stated that the reason he succeeded was not because of natural talent, but because he was willing to work harder than his opponents. This is drive! Train your children to not procrastinate and work hard. This will enable them to do things that they would have otherwise viewed as impossible—and they will be thrilled by what they accomplish!

Wise King Solomon once said, “The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul…” (Prov. 13:19). Teach this to your children. When they accomplish a goal, they will feel a satisfaction that is “sweet to the soul.” Once understood, they will then always be driven to accomplish any task set before them.

All Problems Have Solutions

In working toward any important goal, your children must understand that obstacles and setbacks may arise. Resourcefulness, the fifth important law to success, keeps one from feeling that there is no solution. He will think—investigate—and find a way to succeed!

In many situations, one’s ability to find not just a solution—but the best solution—can determine success or failure. Consider one example from nature: a stream of water, when encountering various obstructions, does not simply stop flowing. It will naturally go around, over or through any barriers.

Likewise, when your children face obstacles, resourcefulness will lead them to seek a way around, over or through them. The human mind is designed to learn the most when it is struggling. When setbacks occur, the learning mechanism in the mind kicks in. Teaching your children this will prevent them from getting discouraged. They will come to realize that obstacles and problems are not a bad thing, but the best possible chance to learn and grow!

Life Is Not Fair

It can be said that the continued application of resourcefulness is applying the critical sixth law of success: perseverance—also called “stick-to-it-iveness.”

Perseverance is working at a problem even when the solution is not evident. Any goal or thing of worth requires hard work—one must pay the price. Most today, however, are unwilling to pay that price and will settle for second best, or worse.

Teaching your children to persevere will give them the inner strength needed to achieve their goals. This will have implications in not just their goals and desires, but also in every aspect of their lives! Teach your children to never give up—even in the face of hardship—and you will virtually ensure their success.

Most Important Law

Although listed last, the seventh law of success—contact with and continuous guidance from God—over-arches all previous laws. This law is the foundation of success! If you teach your children to respect and obey you, you are teaching them to develop a similar relationship with God. As a parent, you must understand that, to your children, you play this vital role.

When you teach your children—when you correct them—when you encourage them—you are creating a basis by which they will respond to their divine Parent—God.

This also applies to you! Look at yourself. Do you consider the success of your children success for yourself? Is having happy and successful children your goal? Do you have contact with God and continually seek His guidance and help to do so?

Real Purpose

Your children’s success is actually far more important than you may realize. Of course, a good career, happy marriage, and successful future are critical for them.

But there is a greater purpose being worked out in your children, and a great potential that they may be able to reach—to one day become leaders, kings and priests in the kingdom of God! (Read Revelation 1:6 and 5:10.)

Does this sound impossible?

God has allowed mankind to work out its own way. This is the reason there is so little true success in the world. But very soon, Jesus Christ will return to Earth to establish the kingdom of God—a government that will rule over all nations.

While we have not yet reached this glorious time, you can claim this promise from God now! The Bible states that your obedience to God will place His protection on your children (I Cor. 7:14). With this protection comes an understanding of the proper—successful—way of life. With God’s protection and involvement in your life, you too can achieve the role of king and priest—and rule in His kingdom. (To learn more about God’s incredible purpose for you and your children, order the free book The Awesome Potential of Man.)

Often-forgotten Role

Simply learning these laws is only the beginning. There is a vitally important aspect of your children’s development that towers above just knowing about the true God and His laws to success: your example!

All small children look up to their parents. You are the center of their growing world, and your example affects them more than anything you could teach them. Are you applying the laws of success in your life? Are you living the way of “give” and following what you are learning in The Real Truth magazine about the true God of the Bible? The success of your children hinges on your answer!

Most do not know that the Bible has much to say about childrearing. The book Train Your Children God’s Way shows the Creator’s clear instruction to parents, grandparents and any planning to become parents.

Order your free copy of this crucial book today.