Getting Your Kids into the Bible
As a believer in Christ and a mother, my desire is that my children embrace the authority of God’s Word
in their lives–that they love it and live by it. Today I want to share with you some ways to get
your kids into the scriptures so they can be equipped and sharpened by its life changing truth.
The best way you can inspire your children to read God’s Word is to example it.
In Deut. 6: 1-9 where the children of Israel are commanded to train up their children
in the ways of the Lord, it reads, “And these words, which I am commanding you today,
shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children….” We learn from this:
that to impart something to our children, God expects us first to possess it.
Is the Word of God precious to you–are you committed to living by its precepts?
Joshua 1:8 is one of the first verses I wanted my children to commit to memory.
Scripture memorization is another great way to help our children remember and meditate
on God’s commands. We have worked on passages before as a family and even
acted out scripture passages to help us remember them better. I want to add a word
of caution here as well–just knowing how to recite God’s Word will not produce a
Biblical Worldview–rather, our children need to meditate on it and then let it
change them from the inside out–we don’t just want hearers of the Word, but doers.
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it
day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it;
for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”
Our homes must reflect the teaching of God’s Word so our children see that it is
important to us, to our family. When you have a discussion about a decision that needs
to be made, does the Word of God enter into that discussion? When you share a principle
that your family has chosen to live by–does your family understand it is based on biblical
precepts or is it just a rule they have to follow? Your children have to understand it is
the source of wisdom, our guide, our lamp. The culture of our home shouts,
“God’s Word is honored here and it is what we live by.”
It will determine what we say, what we hear, where we go, what we do, how we live.
“You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul….and
you shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you sit in your house,
and when you walk along the road, and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
~Deut. 11: 18,19
Fathers must also take the initiative to teach their children God’s Word as they are
commanded to do in Ephesians 6:4. The methods for doing this
will look different in every family; so don’t nag your husband to fit into your own
ideal of how he should do this, but rather encourage him when he teaches them.
If your children are young, most of their bible reading will come from you as
parents. One resource I loved was the
Picture Bible
– I know, it is not meant for serious
bible study–but it gives your child some introductory information and it is colorful
and bright, capturing their attention and imagination. You may choose other
resources, but start when they are young introducing them to Bible stories.
As they get older, purchase them a nice quality good study bible.
Giving your young adults a good study bible shows them
you value God’s Word and encourages them to begin doing some searching on their own.
This is so important. You must not just read as a family;
your children need to study God’s Word on their own, more and more as they get
older. It encourages them to develop their own personal relationship with Christ.
The attitude that says Christianity is something mom and dad do is not the goal
–this kind of thinking will not produce a strong faith in your children.
One way my husband encouraged our children in their own bible study was to
have them outline on a 3×5 card the main points, the interpretation, the context,
and the application of what they were reading. This gave him a way to monitor
what they were reading and learning, and helped keep them accountable in their
bible reading progress. Also, on occasion, during our family worship time, he
will have one of them share their passage and what they learned from it.
Let’s recap in a nutshell: Read the Bible, teach your children to honor and study it,
and make the culture of your home a place where God’s Word is held highly–it is
where we go for answers to life, and what it says is what guides our decisions
May we be parents who raise children committed to living by its words.
“Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning
you today, which you shall command your sons to
observe carefully, even all the words of this law.
For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life.”
~Deut. 32: 46-47
If you’re not a regular visitor, I’d love to
have you join me as we talk about teaching our children a Christian Worldview.
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