Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
–Ephesians 6:4
Some of the fondest memories I have from my childhood were Saturday nights before bed. My parents and I would look over the Sunday school lesson for the next day. Then, we’d take a little envelope and I would get some money out of my piggy bank, stick it in there, and seal it up to put in the offering plate.
From the time I was very young, these lessons were instilled in my heart and my mind, and I’ve never forgotten them. I didn’t see these things as duties or rules. I saw them as opportunities to give worship to God. This was primarily because my parents didn’t just tell me what to do; they told me why we were doing it.
I talk with many moms and dads today who are afraid to have those kinds of routines with their kids because they seem too rigid. But I can tell you in my own life, as well as in the lives of my kids, that those kinds of routines, paired with teaching on the purpose for them, underscore the importance of worship in kids’ lives.
Don’t be afraid of teaching your kids good worship habits. Instruct them in both the ‘hows’ and the ‘whys’ of worship and you’ll help show them the joy of giving honor to the Lord!
TEACH AND EXEMPLIFY THE ‘HOWS’ AND ‘WHYS’ OF WORSHIP TO YOUR KIDS AND SHOW THEM THE JOY OF PRAISING GOD.
