When my children were young, probably my greatest fear was that someone would kidnap them. I was desperate to protect them. Even when my baby boy was 14, and stood over 6 feet tall, I was afraid to let him loose in Walmart by himself. I was fiercely protective of them! Oh, how I wish that I had been as fiercely protective of their souls! Although I brought them up in church for much of their childhood, my heart and mind did not belong to God.
I was a casual Christian and they knew it.
My children went to a Christian school, played two instruments, participated in sports, and wore the latest styles. They lived what appeared an idyllic childhood in a beautiful home on 100 acres bordering two rivers. But the most important ingredient was missing—my parental example of a passionate personal love for God. Oh, I played the Christian—attending church three times a week, tithing, and singing in the choir, but my friend, hypocrisy is a rotting foundation and eventually—it broke me. I crumbled from the inside out and the “Christian” image fell apart. I’m sad to say, I had rejected the most critical foundational truth about parenting. Because…
You won’t teach what you don’t live.
What is this truth that I failed to live? Ironically, I’d been taught this truth from my youth; in fact, when I was a teen, we memorized it. In Judaism, it is called the Shema, and is arguably the most important passage in the Bible about how to SUCCESSFULLY raise children:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall LOVE the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
God makes successful parenting simple for us. He MUST be the center of our lives. He must also be the greatest passion of our lives. He must be the one we love the most and talk about the most. The fruits of His Spirit must dominate our life. We must be giving Him glory for all we do and all we are. Our home must be a place where His peace, love, joy, wisdom, and strength predominate. It’s up to us.
Children know what we love most and they will learn to love what we love; who better can we teach them to love, than their Savior?
No one can replace our role as a parent. Our children WILL imitate us. What example are we giving them to imitate? The most critical life-long lesson can we teach them is to love the Lord with all their heart, all their soul and all their mind. To teach it, we must do it!
“In the [reverent] fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will [always] have a place of refuge. The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that leads to obedience and worship] is a fountain of life, so that one may avoid the snares of death.”
Proverbs 14:26-27
“The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.”
Proverbs 20:7
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2 Responses
thank you. so true
Amen sister!