If you are a regular reader of this column, over the years you have read and heard me say many times that “repetition” is one of the most important habits or ingredients in getting a good education. I have often quoted a university study that found a message read or heard one time was almost completely washed out of the mind a mere 24 hours later. However, a message read or heard several times each day for eight days is practically memorized, and after 30 days the mind retains more than 90 percent of the message. To be sure, when we go over the same information several times, a higher percentage of it sticks. This is certainly true for me when reading the Bible. 

The scripture passage 1 John 1:9 has so much personal application for me. It is very important and it says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” As I say quite often, “I am just a sinner who has been saved by God’s amazing grace.” I have this verse memorized, along with many others. Now, what I have just shared is the introduction to a very important topic, and if you or anyone in your family has young children, I have an idea that could make a tremendous difference in their future. While it will cost a little money, it could be the best money you have ever spent. 

The idea is this: after a young child learns to read, have them begin to read the Bible. There are several books in the bible that are called Wisdom Literature, and one of those is the book of Proverbs. This book was written mostly by King Solomon, son of King David and often called “the wisest man who ever lived.” A good example of how important this book of the Bible really is, in our Sunday school class of older people we have, verse by verse, studied this book for almost a whole year.  There is wisdom there for sure. Now, here is the idea: have your children read the book of Proverbs, and there are 31 chapters in this book, all the way through in a month. 

As part of their allowance, give them $10 for reading it. And this is where repetition comes in: have them do this for a whole year. This means at the end of the year they will have read it 12 times and have $120, plus anything else they may have earned for doing off jobs. My recommendation for any young person is to have a bank savings account opened in their name by the age of 10. If you want to know the value of this just do some research about the miracle of compound interest. For example, at the end of 50 years, if you just saved $2 per day, invested in a stock market account with a return of 10.5 percent, which is what the stock market has done over several extended periods, you would have over a million dollars.  

But that fact is just minor to the many benefits of learning from the “wisest man who ever lived” for all those years of reading and studying the book of Proverbs. And keep in mind, this is time that passes whether we do anything with it or not. God bless and best wishes for a great future. This “inexpensive education” will help.

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(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)