We are living in unusual times, and now more than ever, the urgency of training our children in the Lord moves us to act.
When my kids were little, I read them Bible stories from a picture Bible. My oldest daughter, at 4 or 5 years old, would approach her Daddy or I, asking to read “Noah, Moses, Jesus” at any given time. We couldn’t read her one of those stories without reading all of them. It had become a tradition.
Fast-forward, and that little 5-year-old is now 18 years old, and I continue to guide her and her six siblings in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Why The Urgency to Raise Our Kids to Know God?
During these very uncertain times, it is crucial we are in the Word with our children. Teenagers or toddlers, the truth needs to be spoken over them and into their hearts. Toddlers may not have a clue what is going on in the world, but they sense the stress, anxiety, and worry of the people around them and pick up on it—mimicking it. Even the little ones must know Jesus is with them.
Throughout this pandemic, we were glued to the news. After a while, we were walking around super anxious and quite frankly, scared, about where our country was heading. At some point, God got our attention and drew us closer to Him, prompting us into His Word for comfort, strength, and truth. The peace was instant.
Fear Clouds Judgment
Fear does some awful things to people. While some clam up and hide, others react on others, sometimes causing emotional trauma or physical harm. Or death. Fear is a liar because it tells you worst-case scenarios instead of actual truth. It is based on self-preservation and fear begins to act before any real threats or realities are known. This is why we train our children in the peace of God.
They need to know God is for them, believe that no matter what happens, He is with them, and He has a purpose, understand what God is calling them to do, and be equipped.
Serving and worshipping God comes first and foremost. Then we love our neighbors by honoring them in ways that may seem silly or unnecessary or even annoying to us.
We don’t know what the future holds but we can all agree things are changing. We can either be fearful of that change or walk into it with confidence that Jesus goes before us. Hopefully, where we lead, our children will follow.
Our Children Need Hope
Our children need to know they have hope in Christ, no matter what lies ahead. No matter what challenges they may face or what changes may come. No matter what, they need to be rooted in Christ, and that begins with us training them how to dig into the Scriptures and help them learn to understand what they say through the power of the Holy Spirit. We must train our children in the Lord by teaching them the holiness of God and how to walk in that holiness. It isn’t something that comes naturally or by accident or even by their own strength. Jesus’ death made us righteous, but it is still something we are called to practice everyday. (1 John 3:10)
Our children are made whole when they have full access to God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit. Might I be so bold as to say, if we are not inviting our children into Bible study, we are hindering them? And Jesus says not to hinder the children from coming to Him. (Matthew 19:14). There is more than one way that can manifest itself.
Parents Have a Privilege to Lead Their Children to Jesus
As parents, we are charged with bringing our children up in the instruction of the Lord (Deut. 6:7, Ephesians 6:4) so to fail to do that would hinder them. Even as teenagers, our children need guidance and instruction on how to study the Bible with wisdom and discernment. They probably should not be left to themselves to “figure it out”. (How often do we, as adults, need help studying the Bible?!)
It is not only a duty for Christ-followers but a privilege to be able to lead and raise our children in the Lord. Not just to teach His precepts, but His character. To draw them into relationship with the Living God, our Holy Father.
The times we live in can leave a brand-new 18-year-old frightened and confused if they are not rooted in God’s word. It can cause anxious outbursts in a 15-year-old who doesn’t even fully understand why he’s anxious. Jesus is our Prince of Peace, and when we fail to lead our children to the very One who can help them and bring peace, are we not hindering them?
It is never too late to start!
We should make it a priority to train our children in the Lord and guide them in His truths.
Joyfully His,
Christin
