Teach Them by Sheri Barberini
Deuteronomy 11:19 Teach them [ my words] 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.
When my husband and I were raising our kids, I was haunted by the phrase, “Do as I say, not as I do.” I can’t count how many times I sheepishly thought these words when I was caught, usually by my children, being inconsistent in my actions. When I counseled patience, then got angry when cut off in traffic. When I reminded them that God is always with them, and then was awake half the night, fretting over something I couldn’t control.
God expects us to teach our children His Word, but that’s the easy part. The real challenge -- for me, anyway -- is to live out His Word, to embrace it in my heart and reflect it to the world, and my children, through my actions. We all know that one of the best ways to teach someone is to show them. We use good manners, and our children learn to say “please” and “thank you”. We look both ways at an intersection, and our children learn to be careful when crossing the street. Doesn’t it make sense, then, that we need to model Christian behavior as well? In big ways and small, every day, we need to live out God’s Word, openly and lovingly. Our children, and others, are watching.
Dear Lord thank You for the privilege of teaching our children as You teach us to live and love Your Word.