What parent is there who has not thought about how to shape the spiritual life of a child to be spiritual? When we first hold that child, how can we not see just how precious they are? It is far more than any physical beauty that we see, and how can we ever forget deeper thoughts? They are so pure, so innocent and so naive about all that lies ahead.
You hold them and prayerfully ask God to help you mold and shape their lives. When you honestly look at yourself you feel inadequate. There are books to read, doctors to heal them, teachers to school them, sports coaches to help them excel in sports and computer programs to Google and find how to rear them physically, but where can you find how to mold and shape their lives?
You watch the child as he grows and wish there was a manual to give you all the answers about spiritually helping them grow. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were a book entitled, “Seven Steps to Raising Godly Children,” that would give you all answers with easy rules to just follow to do this? Think of how that would solve the problems you face! Where is that book? Where can you buy it?
There is such a book, but it is not one you can quickly read and find those seven easy steps. Early in that book, you read these words, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up…” (Deut. 6:4-6). It begins with your relationship with God and your children watching you every day. They will soon see more than your actions. They will sense something so much deeper coming from your heart and your soul. It is not just actions but something far deeper. It is not just telling them the “rules” God has but attaching spiritual meaning to what He says and what you are doing.
Children who left Egypt then walked through the Red Sea, felt the ground tremble at Mt. Sinai and heard the voice of God speak from heaven. They were there in fact. Not just at that mountain but walking with Jesus in His life. We can walk with Jesus, not in fact but in faith, and faith is tied to talking about God whom they have heard so much about from infancy.
Next week, we will get specific about how to talk to children about the Bible. Read Exodus 13 and discover the answer to a Jewish boy who asked his father, “Why did you just kill that baby donkey by breaking its neck?” Knowing the answer to this will help you rear your child. More next week.