Intentional Times of Teaching our Kids - Part 5
Posted by Randy | Labels: Children, Deuteronomy, Family, Great Commandment, Love, Parenting, Reggie Joiner, Students, Think Orange | Posted On Friday, May 28, 2010 at 12:01 AM
This week I've been sharing some information from Reggie Joiner in his book Think Orange that help parents be intentional about how and when they teach their kids. These times are based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9:
"'Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.'"
Everything I've shared up through yesterday (4 posts/4 days) was primarily aimed at parents. But, if you look more closely at this passage you'll see that it wasn't addressed just to parents who had children in their home right then and there. Moses said, "Listen, O Israel!" He's speaking to the family of Israel and not just the parents.
There are a couple of things in here we all need to notice. First, we're all commanded to love God with our entire being. Jesus quoted this very passage often as the first part of the Great Commandment, along with loving neighbor and self (which are also found in the writings of Moses). All of us in God's family are called to totally commit to these "commands," or the teachings of God.
But Moses also understood how easy it is for any of us to forget God as we get busy in our daily lives. I know I do - it's easy, even when I'm working at the church. So, Moses tells us a second thing we need to work on - do things to keep God and His teachings in front of us all the time. It's the old "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" problem. I certainly suffer from it, and I suspect most of us do. So, we have to constantly do things to remind us of God's presence with us. Certainly a daily time with God is a great remind. But it might also include listening to Christian radio or music in the car and even at work. It might include reading a daily devotional booklet. Maybe you put a note on your mirror or computer screen to remind you. Wear jewelry that reminds us of God. These are just a few ideas - I'm sure you can come up with more.
This is important for all of us, but Moses tells us it's particularly important for parents. If we're constantly watching for what God is doing and where He is working in and around us, we'll find plenty of teachable moments not only for ourselves but also for our children. We'll have opportunities while we drive and while we're sharing a meal together and lots of other times. It's the same principle for our children as it is for us, except that we need to actively help keep God "in-sight" for our kids. We have that responsibility.
We can't give what we don't have. So, if we want our kids to become more loving, more like Jesus Christ, ideally it needs to begin in us. If we're going to be more intentional with our times with our children, we've got to begin by being more intentional for ourselves. Then, as opportunities arise at meal times, while we're driving, when we're going to bed or when we're waking up, we can share the wonder and majesty and glory of God with our kids. It's the old saying, "Killing two birds with one stone!"
