"I'm chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I'll let you in on the sweet old truths, Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother's knee. We're not keeping this to ourselves, we're passing it along to the next generation-God's fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done. He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come-Know the truth and tell the stories can trust in God, Never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter. Heaven forbid they should be like their parents, bullheaded and bad, A fickle and faithless bunch who never stayed true to God." Psalm 78:2-8 MSG
I love how the Message translation shares this verse. The "sweet old truths" that were shared by their parents. If you have a relationship with Christ and you have children, it is your responsibility to share your faith and the truth of Christ with them. This is true whether your children are two or thirty-two. We are the first and most influential witnesses in our children's lives. I grew up going to church, yet my parents never shared their PERSONAL faith with me. We never read the bible together or talked about what we had heard in church. Perhaps because of this lack of sharing, I did make many of the same mistakes my parents had made in their pasts. What I learned was that church was a place you went on Sunday, but was basically irrelevant the rest of the week. Before my mom passed away, I know her walk with Christ became very personal to her. I've seen changes in my dad over the last several years so I know His walk is different now too. In fact almost every time we talk now, there is mention of God and Christ. At my step-mother's funeral a couple weeks ago, I saw my dad raising his hands in worship. This is something I never recall him doing when I was younger.
Do you talk to you children about God in a personal, first hand kind of way. If they are older, do they know of your trust in Him. If He has provided for you, have you shared this with your children? Do you pray with your children? Do you ask them to pray for others? As I'm typing this, my 5 year old just walked into the room with the money she received from the tooth fairy last night and showed me the part she was putting aside for her offering. The rest she wants to use to purchase a birthday present for someone she knows (all $.75). My heart sings at her generosity! Are the fruits of the spirit being displayed in your children? Are they displayed by you?
My prayer for you going into this weekend is that your family's walk with Christ would become stronger. Try praying with your children and reading scripture together. Ask them for their input on what has been read. You might be surprised at just how much they understand! You might want to avoid Song of Solomon unless they are at least 16. :)
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