Teach Your Children Well

And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deuteronomy 6: 6-7

Little children are like sponges. Their favorite word after "no" is "why?". When Moses told the children of Israel to teach these things he did not want it to be a static set of commands. Instead, these spiritual matters are to be impressed upon the hearts, minds and souls of our children. It is the primary function of a parent to teach one's children. These days that function is so often delegated to others. It might be the nursery school worker, the teacher, the baby sitter or the minister who watches over the child. But, the dialogue begins in the home between the parent and the child.

I fear for the next generation that we have lost our focus on the teaching of the kingdom of God to our children. It is not about us. It is about the Lord. While each child is individually unique and made in the image of God, a child needs to understand the responsibility at the earliest age of the consequences of living life in relationship with a living God. Jesus rebuked his disciples when they tried to hinder the children from coming to him. To such is the given the kingdom of God. In fact, unless we become like children we can't even see the kingdom. The things of a spiritual nature are unseen in the physical world; but, they are far more real than anything we can see, hear, touch, feel or smell. Faith, hope and love are taught in the journey of our lives. We teach far more to our children by the way we act than we can ever tell them. However, the journey presents teachable moments every day. Unless we look for them, those opportunities pass us by forever. We never want to crush the inquisitive spirit of a child who is seeking the answers to life.