Desire for wealth causes many American parents to neglect Bible training for their children. Many parents think that their family’s financial future is more important, and urgent, than their spiritual future. They believe that they cannot always make money, but there will always be time to serve God. In fact, the reverse is true. There is no way to recover the lost years that most American families spend in the accumulation phase. After most of what we accumulate has slipped through our hands, we have nothing truly valuable. Having laid up treasures on earth, we must now fight with moth, rust and thieves to preserve what will someday be given to someone who has not worked for it (Ecclesiastes 2:21). Our children also are accumulating during this period. They are accumulating values, storing] knowledge. The rest of their existence depends on what they accumulate in those few years.
In Deuteronomy 11:2-7 Moses says:“Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: His majesty, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm; the signs He performed and the things He did in the heart of Egypt,. . . It was not your children who saw what He did for you in the desert until you arrived at this place, . . . it was your own eyes that saw all the great things the Lord has done.”
This is why God commanded the Israelites to teach their children. Hiss law and their salvation history. We know this because Moses repeats the same instructions about family teaching (Deuteronomy 11:18-21) wrote previously (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Israelite parents could not assume that their children would grow up respecting God. They had to teach their children, planting respect for God in their hearts. The prophet
“I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old—what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands” (Psalms 78:2-7).
Our children will not trust God merely because we do. They will trust God after we train them to love Him.
Paul wrote, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). He appealed to each child’s moral sensibility. A child should obey the Lord, or parents, because that is the right thing to do, not merely because Dad and Mom will be disappointed or punish him. When a child is trained to act based on what is right, he can make difficult decisions independently and confidently.
In the same way, a child must learn to study the Bible independently. As we teach Gods Word to our children, we must implant the joy of knowing the Fathers will in their hearts. They must desire to know God independently. Then they will seek Him and His will because they love Him. That is the greatest challenge of training our children.
The New Testament writers do not emphasize methods of teaching children, because they assume that the Old Testament methods are sufficient. The teaching principles written in the Old Testament apply to any culture, at any time in history. That is the beauty of truth; it can be applied universally, if we use the Old Testament methods as a pattern for teaching our children, they will find joy in learning about God.
32:45-47) The first step in creating joyful learning about God is:
1. Set a precedent of love for God and His Word. An alcoholic cannot teach his children sobriety. A smoker cannot teach his children to avoid cigarettes. A Christian who is distracted by life’s cares cannot teach his children to devote time to loving God and His Word. If these children decide not to follow their parents, it is usually in spite of their parents’ example, not because of their parents’ teaching. All the parents’ instructing words fall on ears deafened by the volume of the parents’ example. Therefore, the most important preparation we can make in training our children to love God is to practice loving Him with all our heart, soul and strength. The Lord knows that we will not serve Him, nor teach others to serve Him, until we love Him completely.
We usually do what we want to do, within the limits of capability. Often we avoid doing a task because we think we are unable to do it, but actually we do not want to do it. No one expects us to do what we cannot do, so we invent our inability. It is much easier to say, “I can’t,” than to say, “I don’t want to.” The way we discover this is when some circumstance, or person, forces us to try what we thought we could not do and we succeed. We realize that were using disability as an excuse to avoid what we did not want to do.
Sometimes we excuse ourselves from Bible study because we are too busy. Yet, somehow we find time to do things that we think are important. Sometimes we say that we do not have enough Bible knowledge to teach. Yet, when we do not know how to do something that we want to do, we find sources of information and teach ourselves. Do you think our children do not see this? Do you think they are convinced when our lips say that we love the Lord with all our being, but our actions say that we do not? Children see our subtle spiritual attitudes. We cannot hide our hypocrisy from them; they know us too well. Before our children will love the Lord, they must first see us loving Him.
“How can I change a life of neglect to a life of devotion?” Many people ask this question when they begin establishing new priorities. Here are some suggestions:
a. Plan realistically. You do not read your Bible two hours and pray four hours, when you begin. Strive for consistency. Anything that you can do consistently will be an accomplishment because it is more than what you are doing now. Plan so that you can consistently fulfill your plans.
b. Promise to God and a fellow Christian that you will fulfill specific devotion plans. Remember to pray to the Lord about your devotion plans. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3). If you truly want to change your life, get serious. Do not talk about intentions; promise to fulfill your plans. Accountability does wonders for devotion. You can justify any failure to yourself, but it is difficult to explain it to God, or to another Christian, why you broke your promise. So, promise to fulfill your devotion plans.
c. Follow your promise, not your feelings. Often you will not feel like carrying out your devotion plans. Do not ignore your feelings, or deny them, but follow your promise. Feelings can mislead and deceive. They change quickly and are difficult to resist, but they usually adjust as you follow your commitment. Hundreds of times we feel that we cannot do something, but after trying it our feelings change. So, follow your promise, not your feelings.
Do you think that your children will immediately follow you if you want to change your life of spiritual neglect? Your children’s change of attitude will probably lag behind yours, so prepare for it. Do not let it discourage you. Confess your neglect to them, and to God. Ask forgiveness from both, and show them that now you are making the Lord the highest priority. Show them that you find joy in knowing Him and His Word. Let them see you taking time to read the Bible and meditate on its teaching. Let them see you on your knees in prayer. When they see changes in your devotion, your children will become joyful in learning about God with you.
Notice what Moses says in Deuteronomy 6:7-9:
“Impress them [God’s commandments] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates”.
This is why parents must prepare themselves through loving God with all their heart, soul, and strength. The second step in creating joyful learning about God is:
2. Let God’s commands be your life’s explanation. Scripture says that parents should use every-day opportunities to explain the way of the Lord to their children. When our children question our decisions or conduct saying, “Why?”, our answer should be, “Because God says...”
For instance, suppose a young Christian brother came to me and asked me to co-sign a loan contract so that he could buy a new car. If I refuse, my children might wonder why I refused a request that seemed innocent. I could turn to Proverbs 17:18 and show them that the Bible says, “An man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.” They might still think that I lack judgment, but they would know that in this instance I deferred to the Lord’s wisdom.
Christianity is practical. It is not a philosophical exercise of the mind. Jesus said that living in His teachings is the way to true freedom (John 8:31; Luke. 6:46-49). James said that when we merely listen to the word we deceive ourselves (James 1:22). Our children must learn that God’s laws have practical value; they are the best way to live.
You must show children the practical value of Christian living by accompanying instruction with examples of Christian living. Include your children in your daily activities. When you visit the sick, take your children. They can help you clean the patient’s house, do yard work, feed the patient, or just encourage. Teach them how to help the sick person, while respecting their dignity. Terminally ill Christians teach us volumes about death and dying as a Christian. Time spent at the bedside of a dying Christian is time well spent (Ecclesiastes 7:2). The loss of a friend always fills us with grief, but we also can rejoice at the hope God gives us in death. Your children need to see this grief and hope in practice so that they can learn about death. When you help the needy, encourage your children to participate in the work. Let them see that they can do something, no matter how small. When you or your children are trying to solve a problem with a family member, friend, or fellow Christian, explain how you can follow the Lords instructions about conflict resolution.
Our corporate worship provides many opportunities for children to learn about serving God. The Lord’s Supper is probably the best example of this. We believe that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We tell others that we believe this as we observe the Lord’s supper (1 Corinthians 11:26). Moses said that Israel’s festivals would provoke children to ask about their meaning. Of the Passover, Moses said:
“When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as He promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians’ ” (Exodus 12:25-27).
When Moses told parents to “Tie [God’s commandments] as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads” (Deuteronomy 6:8), He was referring to the Israelites’ actions and thoughts, or memories (Exodus 13:7-9, 14-16). When the Israelites observed these festivals, their actions not only reminded them of how the Lord delivered them from slavery, but also reminded them to tell their children the significance of the events they remembered.
God designed worship to be meaningful so that we can remember, and wonder. When our children worship God with us, they will ask doctrinal questions that give us opportunities for formal Bible study. When we consistently worship God with our families, we are making opportunities to teach our children the meaning of God’s actions and blessings. When we do not, we are not; it is that simple. If we are inconsistent in our worship attendance, we are saying that: those meaningful symbols are meaningless to us. Can we expect our children to be joyful in learning about God if He means so little to us?
Remember, each step in life is an opportunity to instruct our children about the Lord and His way. Two things are apparent in this method:
a. Parents must spend time with their children. There are no opportunities to teach if parent and child do not spend time together. Sometimes we lecture to our children, not because its more effective, but because it takes less time and it still salves our consciences. The more time we spend with our children in everyday-life experiences, the more we learn about them and they about us. This helps us to plan our teaching appropriately for the needs of each child and it gives them opportunities to question us.
b. Parents must know God’s plan for their decisions and actions. When our children question us about our lives, we should answer with God’s Word. We cannot continue acting from mere habit. If our conduct is only habitual, have we truly submitted to the Lord? Submitting to the Lord means making conscious decisions based on what He wants us to do. This means that we must study the will of the Lord, obey it, and prepare for when our children ask us, “Why?”
These two requirements sometimes frighten us. They threaten our tight schedules. We must now validate behavior that we assumed was right. If we have been hypocrites, our tenuous link to respectability weakens. But, as with everything in God’s way, the rewards are worth the cost.
The Bible teaches that we can create a joyful atmosphere for learning about God by setting a precedent of love for God and His Word and by letting God’s commands be our life’s explanation. Without these preparations, teaching Gods way to our children will be a dismal, lifeless affair.
However, we must never use formal training of our child to compensate for ignoring God in our own lives. Our children must see us devoting ourselves to God before they will devote themselves to God. If we demand from our children what we are not willing to do, they will brand us as the hypocrites we are.
The wise man said, “He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet” (Proverbs 27:7). Certain foods will satisfy hunger pangs, but they do not properly nourish the body. Many people slowly die of malnutrition, though they eat regularly, because the food does not nourish them. Why do they continue to eat what is not nourishing? Because their hunger drives them.
Physical hunger is not the only human appetite; we also can also “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6). Spiritual starvation drives it victims just as physical starvation does. There are many doctrines that relieve spiritual hunger pangs, but do not nourish the soul (Colossians 2:20-23). If we starve our children’s souls, they will accept even what will not nourish them to satisfy their hunger. Who will we blame when our children have turned to bitterness for their nourishment? This is why we must commit ourselves to training our children in the Lord’s Word.
Programs of Bible study require commitment. While we discuss commitment, we also should discuss consistency, which is the fruit. Some parents complain that their efforts to train their children are inconsistent; they begin programs, but finish few of them. Often this is because they have not truly committed themselves to the task.
Some parents begin programs of Bible study because of a sense of duty.(“I have to study with my children because that is the responsibility of a parent.”) Others begin because of pressure from their peer group. (“if all the other parents are studying with their children, then what kind of parent am I if I don’t?”) Although a sense of duty comes closest to supporting commitment, these are still cold incentives for studying with our children. These reasons will not stand under the relentless pressure of other responsibilities because they are selfish. Only an interest in our children’s spiritual welfare will produce commitment that will stand under pressure from other responsibilities. We must train our children because we love them and want the best for them.
1. Include the Lord in your planning. (Cf. Proverbs 16:3). We know that the Lord wants our children to be spiritually strong. We also know that He wants us to train them (Ephesians 6:4) Therefore, we can be confident when we ask Him to help us consistently train our children because we know that we are praying according to His will (1 John 5:14-15).
2. Plan to succeed. Do not make a plan that will fail on its first test. Look at the schedules of each family member and set a time that can be consistently kept by all. Be certain that everyone can easily keep the appointment. The idea is not to conduct a marathon spiritual exercise at first, or to cram a lifetime of missed opportunities into one week. Plan to do something consistently. You will learn to devote more time regularly as you grow together.
3. Force yourself. Remember that you and your children will not always feel like keeping a regular Bible study appointment. At first, you will need to force yourself to keep these appointments just because you have committed yourself to your children’s spiritual welfare. As time passes, what was once forced will become habitual. You will automatically schedule other responsibilities around your family Bible study time.
4. Make Bible study time joyful. We know that we must prepare minds for corporate worship. We cannot just rush around Sunday morning, fly to church on the freeway, arrive just as the congregation sings the first hymn, fall into the pew panting, and be ready for worship. Likewise, family Bible studies require us to prepare our minds, the environment, and materials to be used. Bible study times should not be for airing and solving family grievances. They should be times of peace, focusing on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit through praying, rejoicing, praising, honoring and learning. Control the atmosphere and behavior in Bible study by setting and following ground rules. When Bible study time is a refuge from our otherwise hectic lives, we will want to enter it more often.
5. Prepare for interruptions. You cannot imagine how often your program of regular, family Bible study will be interrupted when you begin. This is not surprising. After giving other tasks priority for so long, Bible study will not take first place overnight. As time goes by, you will notice fewer interruptions. Actually, the interruptions are not diminishing, but the importance you place on them is. Remember that interruptions are frustrating, but they are not the end of the world. If you remember your commitment to your children’s welfare, and yours, you will return to your Bible study program.
Flexibility in our schedules will help us endure interruptions. Flexibility is a matter of prioritizing. Some things are more important than others. Some things are even more important than Bible study A dying neighbor is more important than Bible study, a ringing telephone is not. Help the neighbor, but turn off the telephone. Learn to say “No.” You are not the solution to every problem in the world, and you are indispensable to one group, your family. Consider the importance of requests relative to your responsibility to train your children and accept or reject them depending on their priority. God made parents responsible for training their children, you are the only parents your children have, therefore some things have much lower priority.
There is more than one way to skin a cat. Sometimes interruptions are intolerable because we are using only one method of teaching our children. Parents who are training their children should diversify. If we use more than one method of instruction, we can teach in various environments and situations. Even an interruption can be turned into an opportunity to teach. This increases our flexibility in teaching methods and allows us to endure interruptions without destroying our training efforts.
1. Buy a good Bible translation for your children. A Bible for each of your children is a wonderful investment. Remember when you received your first Bible? Just receiving it made you want to read it. Bibles are readily available and inexpensive. Do not neglect the chance to invest in your children’s spiritual future; buy a Bible for each child.
Preschool children who have not yet begun to read can benefit from a good picture Bible that portrays Bible stories accurately. Most young children will spend hours turning the pages of a good picture Bible. The best our family has used is Read-N-Grow Picture Bible (Sweet Publishing Company). A Bible story book will help you build your young children’s interest in God’s Word, also. You should select one that relates Bible events accurately. It is difficult to find a good Bible story book that is also accurate Because the Bible writers were not novelists, the desire for interest and excitement tempts writers of Bible story books to embellish Bible stories. You must watch for the author’s doctrinal bias, also. I do not want to frighten you away from Bible story books, just remember to read them with cautious minds and explain inaccurate parts to your children. Our family went through several Bible story books when our children were younger and the one we used most was Taylor’s Bible Story Book (Kenneth N. Taylor, Tyndale House).
Remember that a picture Bible is a visual supplement for younger children and a Bible story book is used to spark interest in the Word of God. They are not substitutes for a good Bible translation. You should read to your preschool children from a good Bible translation until they can read.
The Bible should become part of our children’s speaking and thinking; they need to know God’s Word in the English they hear, speak and think daily. Some parents ask, “Which translation of the Bible should I buy for my children?” Since the Bible is our main resource in Bible study, we need to use the best translations available. The best English translations available are not 380 years old.
The best selling English translation of the Bible is a modern English translation, the New International Version. It is a good, accurate translation and I highly recommend it for anyone. You must decide which translation you and your children will use. Just remember there is no perfect translation of the Bible, including the King James Version. Every translation is a product of man’s labor. The scope this article does not allow me to include criteria for selecting a Bible translation. Two good sources that will help you make an informed choice are “The English Bible from KJV to NIV” (Jack P. Lewis, Baker Book House) and “So Many Versions?” “Twentieth Century English Versions of the Bible” (Sakae Kubo and Walter Specht, Zondervan).
Another type of book that will help your children understand the Bible is an introduction to the Bible written for children. Bible introductions contain facts about authorship, date, content, recipients, and other information about Bible books that helps readers to understand what they are reading. Our family has effectively used “What The Bible Is All About For Young Explorers” (Frances Blankenbaker, Regal Books).
2. Design Bible studies to provide teaching, example and practice. The Christian life requires training (1 Timothy 4:7-8; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Hebrews 5:14). Training is a matter of teaching, exemplifying and practicing.
a. Teaching and example. You should make a plan that you will follow when teaching your children. Your plan could be a list of Bible stories, or a list of Christian character traits that you want your children to learn. Perhaps it is a list of Scriptures you want your children to memorize, or some aspects of worshipping God that they need to perfect. Under each item on the list you should write the specific ways you will teach your child that particular item. Each step of any plan you make should emphasize the main item you wish to teach.
For example, maybe you want to teach your children how to worship God effectively. You could prepare a list that included, singing, praying, studying God’s Word, and giving. (You could even include such items as corporate worship as the Lord’s Supper and teaching or preaching if they are appropriate for your children’s ages). Under each item you could expand by listing the aspects of that item that your children need to learn. For example, praying could be broken down into: praising God, thanking God, praying for others, and praying for self. You could then devote one evening to each of these aspects of prayer, reading Scriptures that apply to each aspect.
Teaching is thin without example; example is meat on the bone. That is why the Bible is not merely a book of rules. God gave us many examples of people who prospered by obeying Him to showing us that His commands are practical. Lets go back to our example of prayer. When you teach your children about prayer, teach them the exciting stories of effective prayer in the Bible (Paul and Silas; Peter; Elijah; Daniel, etc.). Tell them about how God has answered your prayers and the prayers of other members of Christ’s body. Make your teaching forceful by calling attention to the answers to your prayers when they happen. We make Bible teachings meaningful as we show them working in the lives of real people.
Also, we can exemplify by illustrating Bible stories in current terms. I do not mean changing the stories, but comparing the events to something your children can relate to in the present. Do not tell them how big Noah’s ark was, go out in the street and step off it’s dimensions (if your street is long enough) so that they will see how large it was. Show them that when the Israelite army fought and won battles against far superior forces, often more enemies died in one day than the U. S. armed forces lost in ten years of conflict in Vietnam! Surely God won these battles for Israel, as He said.
Drama can help your children remember Bible examples. Re-enact a Bible story that illustrates the principle you are trying to teach. Assign each family member a part in the play and write the script according to the way you see the story happen when you read the Bible. This is a fun way to encourage participation and it will help your children remember the example. The purpose is to hit the target, not just to shoot, so be sure that the play emphasizes the main point of your teaching.
To some people, memorization is a dirty word. David, on the other hand, knew the value of memorization. He said, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). Memorizing Scripture is a profitable undertaking in Bible training. Years after you have memorized, the Scripture will still be with you and your children, molding your lives to the Lord’s design. The verses, chapters, or even books you memorize should be chosen for a particular purpose. For example, you could memorize verses that explain the plan of salvation, or a passage that addresses an area of your life where you are weak. When you memorize, use any tool that will help you remember. Hand and body motions, or even drawings, help young children remember verses. (They can help older people, too!) Hiding God’s Word in your heart is a rewarding task. Do not neglect it.
b. Practice. This is where we often fail in teaching our children. Its fine to give them teaching, but practice solidifies learning. The essence of practice is action. Whatever plan we make, it should encourage action. If you are teaching prayer encourage every family member to pray with the family, incorporating the principles you have learned for praying. If you are teaching Bible study, set aside a time when family members should share the fruits of their study with the family If you are teaching benevolence, make a time when each faimily member will be given an opportunity to help someone with their possessions. Wisdom is required here because some family members may be reluctant to participate. Praise each effort to participate no matter how stumbling. Proficiency will come with practice.
Young children need to see, hear and feel to help them participate in our studies and remember our teaching. Try to think of ways to give young children something to see, touch or hear that illustrates and enforces the principle you are teaching. Drawing pictures, building models and many other activities reinforce the verbal teaching we give to young children. For example, a mother was teaching her young children about the fruit of the Spirit. She wanted to stimulate them to show the fruit of the Spirit in their daily living, so she made a tree and fruit of construction paper. She taped this tree to the wall near the front door. She labeled the paper fruit with the different aspects of the fruit of the Spirit and placed them in pockets on the tree. She gave baskets to her children and when they exhibited a particular aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, they picked that fruit off the tree and put it in their baskets. In this way she rewarded the practice of living by the Spirit and reinforced the meaning of her teaching.
Another method of practicing principles or character traits is role playing. Create a situation which demands that a Christian respond with the specific trait or principle and practice with your children. Obviously, real situations will be a bit different from those we fabricate, but we constantly imagine how we will respond to real situations. Role playing is just a concrete extension of mental preparation.
An area of practice that is often neglected is worship in the home. God does not limit us to worshipping Him three times a week when the church meets. The Bible says that every moment we live should be a sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1). Our gifts are sacrifices to God (Hebrews 13:16). The Bible encourages worship outside the assembly (James 5:13). So, we should practice worshipping the Lord with our families and friends outside the assemblies of the church. Some worship of God cannot be done outside the church assembly because its meaning is tied to the assembly (e.g., the Lord’s Supper; (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
We cannot substitute extra-assembly worship for worship with the body of Christ (Hebrews 10:24-25). But extra-assembly worship is acceptable to God, even demanded. So, sing, study and pray with your family!
The Bible is the best source of ideas for studying with your family; do not fail to read it. There are also many contemporary books that suggest different methods of teaching Bible subjects to your children. A local Bible bookstore should have a varied selection of books geared to teaching Bible principles to children. Some books for pre-school and lower elementary children that our family has used are: “Choosing God’s Way to See and Share” (V. Gilbert Beers, Ronald A. Beers, Victor Books); “Big Thoughts for Little People and Giant Steps for Little People” (Kenneth N. Taylor, Tyndale House). A good book on prayer for upper elementary children is “Adventure at Hidden Haven Ranch” (Mary E. Erickson, NavPress). These books combine the elements of teaching, example and practice.
“The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. . . After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals"(Judges 2:7, 10-11)
Do your children know the Lord and what He has done for us? What will our next generation be?
P.O. Box 37073, Lusaka, Zambia, Africa.
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