My husband and I just finished a very busy, but delightful, holiday season—the highlight being time spent with our children, their spouses, and grandchildren (with some extra dogs thrown into the mix for added fun)! There was plenty of good conversation, love, and laughter, reading books together, popcorn over the fire, sled rides, and more. As a parent and grandparent, there is a special joy that comes from watching your family grow and mature. But amidst all the fun, and the giggles and smiling faces of my grandchildren, there is a verse that comes to mind that reorients my joy and makes me long and pray for something much deeper for their lives as they grow up…
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children [and grandchildren] are walking in the truth.
(3 John 4)
No greater joy than hearing that they are walking in the truth of His Word—the Bible.
No greater joy than knowing that they are trusting whole-heartedly in Christ and living out the gospel.
No greater joy than seeing them find their greatest and all-satisfying joy in God.
No greater joy than being confident that they will experience fullness of joy in His presence forevermore!
If this is the desire of your heart for your own children, grandchildren, and the children in your church, then we must be earnest, diligent, intentional, and zealous in teaching them the truth and living out the truth in our homes and churches. Christian discipleship must occupy highest priority as we plan family schedules and activities and, by necessity, that means prioritizing biblical instruction.
Here is some very helpful encouragement for parents:
…God’s word isn’t just a book; it’s the source of all truth and wisdom. It tells us who we are and how we got here. It shows us our greatest problem and our greatest need. It reveals all that God has done for us through Christ and the only way to salvation. It tells us all we need to know to live for God in this fallen world. God’s word is food for our souls. Unlike any other book we read, it is active and alive, transforming us from the inside out. And it’s our source of comfort and peace in a dark and confusing world.
(Christina Fox, “Teaching Children God’s Word” at www.forthefamily.org)
Christina Fox, who provided that encouragement for parents, follows with this practical advice for teaching Scripture to children:
As believers, we desire for our children to know, love, believe, and live out God’s word in their lives. While it is the job of the Spirit to apply the word to our children’s heart, we have a duty to teach our children God’s word (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
Ways to Teach Children Scripture
1. Read it Yourself…
2. Read Together…
3. Encourage them to read it on their own…
4. Memorize Scripture together…
5. Apply Scripture to all of life…
6. Pray for God to work...
(Christina Fox, “Teaching Children God’s Word” at www.forthefamily.org)
Read the entire article here to see how she further fleshes out the six points.
Also, I would encourage you to read our Family Devotions page, which provides basic tips for doing devotions with your family as well as Truth78 resources.
