“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 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
As a parent, nothing can happen through you until it first happens in you. That’s why today’s verse says that God’s Word and ways must be in your heart before you can teach God’s Word and his ways to your children.
The simple but unalterable truth is that you cannot lead your children where you have not been yourself. You cannot expect your children to lead dynamic, Spirit-filled Christian lives if you aren’t living a vibrant, dynamic, Spirit-filled Christian life yourself.
It doesn’t matter their age, children can spot insincerity and phoniness and hypocrisy from a mile away. And nowhere is their radar more accurate than it is at home. That’s why I tell parents that your kids don’t expect you to be perfect, but they do expect you to be real! They expect sincerity.
So let me make this as practical as I possibly can today. Are you the same person at home as you are away from home? If your kids saw you at work or at a lunch meeting with clients or at a dinner with friends, would they recognize you by the way you act and talk?
Today more than ever, our children need moms and dads who consistently and creatively pour the Word and wisdom of God into their lives. They need your encouragement and example!
That means spending the time on your own relationship with Christ so you can pour God’s Word and God’s ways into your children’s lives. It means initiating conversations with your kids about spiritual things. It means looking for ways to weave God into the normal, everyday routine of life.
Our kids don’t need passive parents. They need active, intentional, instructional moms and dads who are passionate about their own walks with Christ and who will instill in their children the truth, promise, and blessing that comes from the Word of God.
That’s what it takes to have a truly successful and happy family. And it’s a sacrifice I pray you’d be willing to make as a parent today.
YOU CANNOT EXPECT YOUR CHILDREN TO LEAD DYNAMIC, SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTIAN LIVES IF YOU AREN’T LIVING A VIBRANT, DYNAMIC, SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTIAN LIFE YOURSELF.
