During my daily Bible reading last week, I came across Isaiah 28:10. “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”
Isn’t this the best way to instruct our children in the things of God?
We begin when they are young, helping them memorize simple verses, explaining very basic commands such as children obeying their parents, and enjoying the narrative of Bible stories.
As our children become school-aged, we give more detailed explanations of Bible principles and add applications from those same, now familiar, Bible stories. The memory verses become passages of verses and teach character traits such as diligence and forgiveness.
During the teenage years, we add yet another layer of knowledge, showing them how to study the Bible on their own and delving deeper into the doctrines and tenets of our faith.
Leading our children into spiritual growth is a building process and each child will progress differently. It’s “here a little, and there a little,” just looking for teachable moments daily and being available to answer their questions. Asking what the Sunday School teacher taught or discussing the Pastor’s sermon on the way home from church can provide additional opportunities for instruction.
During a recent revival meeting at our church, it was a blessing to see our oldest daughter taking notes during the service. It was a reminder that helping our children build a strong foundation in the faith is a work that, with the Holy Spirit’s help, will have eternal value.
Linked to Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now.
So true! I am always amazed at my daughter's ability to memorize scripture and use scripture in it's proper context. The Holy Spirit is at work! And I love how I am growing with her, "line by line".
One of my favorite questions to ask each Sunday…Jane, what did you learn in Sunday school? She says, I learned about Jesus! For now, every Sunday brings the same answer. And I love her answer! She's three. But she gets it! She tells me about Jesus with a joyful heart.
Praying for God to build in her that strong foundation as I do my best to teach and train her, and so very thankful I don't have to do it on my own! What an amazing gift we have in the Holy Spirit!!!
This is so very true… And makes me realise that we can probably never invest too much time into using teachable moments to instruct or guide our children in the "way they should go". What a blessing it is when we see the fruit of our labours like you did when you noticed your daughter taking notes.
Foundations are vital. But foundations without anything built upon them are useless – thanks for the reminder and encouragement to keep building on those foundations!
Melissa,
It's so wonderful to hear how you are interacting with your daughter about spiritual matters at such a young age.
This morning I was thinking about Paul's command to Timothy to "let no man despise thy youth." Surely it is a mistake to think that God would not use our children in some mighty way just because they haven't reached what we consider a mature age.
Great job, mom!
Hope you have a nice day!
Clara,
You're right – teaching our children about God and His ways are surely one of the most valuable uses of our time as parents. May I seize more of those moments and not miss them because of misplaced priorities.
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Thank you for this encouragement today! Yes, this is so true…in my life and in my children's. I love how the Holy Spirit guides us into His truth and that we can grow in Him daily…precept by precept…thankful that He teaches us so patiently and teaches us how to teach our own! =) I love to not only watch my children grow in stature but in His Wisdom as well! Great post, Tracey!
Amen! What a great post! It is awesome to see our children grow in stature and also their faith as we help them understand God's Word!
Have a great day!
Sherry
Such a wonderful and encouraging post! I often worry that I'm not teaching the girls enough, but you've just helped to alleviate those fears!
Thank you for sharing this post – your blog is very inspiring, I'm going to share it with my friend Christa, who is also a Christian blogging mommy – I "followed" your blog and would love a follow back if you have time!
Mary @ Redo 101