Today’s reading is Judges 1-3, Psalm 16, and Luke 20.
We read in the book of Joshua where the Israelites reached the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. As he lead them he stated these famous words in Joshua 24:15, “..But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” When we read of Joshua’s death in Judges 2:6-10, we learn his generation and his children did serve the Lord, but we read in Judges 2:10 where the following generation “did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.”
We then read on in Judges 2-3 where the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord in the following generations and under the next leaders (Judges 2:11, Judges 2:19, Judges 3:7, Judges 3:12). We also read in Judges 2:20 where this angered the Lord and Israel lost His favor and then as a result the protection of God because they turned against Him (Judges 2:21-23). For all those reading this who live in America, this probably brings us concern as we see our nation and its people turning further and further from God and what the Bible teaches.
We recalled earlier Joshua’s promise in Joshua 24:15 to serve the Lord and it seems as though he and his children’s generation did, but then what went wrong and why? The Bible doesn’t tell us, but I’m confident it’s not because the Israelites were always on their iPhone browsing Facebook and Instagram instead of spending time with and teaching their children or taking their kids to travel sports games instead of church (guilty here on both accounts). However, there must have been other distractions or reasons why they fell away from teaching their kids about God and all he’d done for them. Maybe they were too busy working to run the home or too busy battling other people for ground or maybe they just stopped focusing on the good God had done for them and focused only on their problems falling out of love with Him. We can only guess.
This is a good reminder and wake up call to us on how we must teach our children about God, what His Word teaches, and our love for Him (and His love for us), so that when our children are out of our house they will continue to stay close to Him, His Word, and live the way He desires us to.
Here are a list of things we can do to help lay a strong foundation with our children in their formative years with us so they will stay close to Him when they leave our home and so they someday can lead their children to God as well.
- Attend Church Regularly – We are tired. We want to rest and relax the one day we can which is usually Sunday. We have kids’ sports and activities or when we don’t this is our one day off. But, we need fed God’s Word and time to worship Him. Studies show when we go to church, our kids are significantly more likely to when they are out of the house, too. When we are traveling, we can still try to watch or listen online together.
- Join a Small Group/Bible Study – This is important for us to stay in God’s Word and close fellowship with other believers and will also show by example our kids how God is a priority and important amongst our busy schedules and lives.
- Read a Daily Devotional and Your Bible (and let your kids see you doing it) – Staying close to God’s Word will pay dividends and improve our parenting as it speaks to us (Hebrews 4:12) each day. Quiet time alone with God in prayer reading is important as Jesus modeled (Luke 5:15, Mark 1:35), and I also think our kids knowing we do this and even seeing us reading from our Bible firsthand with their own eyes and how we make this a priority is also very valuable.
- Listen to Worship Music – While our family loves many genres and time periods of music and listens to them frequently, I believe it’s also valuable to listen to Christian music and for our kids to see us singing and praising God while we’re in the car, making dinner, or during fellowship time. While our kids go to their own church service, we also try to attend a few worship music nights our church has with the entire family where we can all sing and praise God together.
- Talk About What You Are Seeing and What God’s Word Teaches– We are now seeing on the news, in commercials, in TV shows and movies, and even things taught and/or allowed in our grade schools things that go against God’s Word. We must help our kids know at a young age what God and His Word says. The different sins of others are no worse than our own sins in God’s eyes and our kids must know this. We must teach our kids it’s ok to disapprove of sins that just may be different than our own (which we also disapprove of), and we can still love others in their sin the same way God loves us in ours. In the end, what’s most important is that they know what God’s Word says is right and wrong.
- Discuss and Share Being in Awe of God – For those with younger children (and even older), discuss the beauty of His Creation around us..it could be as simple as the sunrise and sunset. Share what God is doing and has done in your life and the lives of others…even through challenging times. Remind them that, “God is great..all the time!”
- Family Devotional Time – Consider taking time weekly to do a devotional together as a family and discuss. This is a great time to bond and model being in His Word and doing it together. I know for our family this is one we must improve on!
In between writing this, one of our small group members sent to our group a social media video of a pastor who said we should ask our children what they think the #1 thing is their parents desire for them to know. He said if they don’t answer, “to know God,” then that is a major problem. He commented that if they get great grades, but don’t know God..what does it matter? If they have a beautiful wedding, but don’t know God..what does it matter? I would add knowing God’s love and where our kids will spend eternity is what does matter.
In closing, when getting to know a potential new financial planning client, I ask them what’s important for the 5 Capitals they have in their life – Relational, Physical (time), Intellectual, Financial, and Spiritual. More than a few recently whose kids have just grown up and are now out of the house have commented that they are believers and pray but regrettably had not gone to church while their kids were growing up and now realize the not so favorable impact. I admire their awareness and have encouraged them their kids are still watching and following their lead..even if their kids are out of the house. And at the same time this is a good wake up call for those of us who still have kids living under our roof.
I’m asking myself what 1 thing from my list above is that I can improve on, and I would encourage you to do the same.
