What are you teaching?

            Our society values a good education.  We send our children to school when they are little more than babies and expect them to stay there well past adolescence.  We know the importance of math and science for technology, and how important it is that they read well.  Somehow, however, teaching God’s word and the things of God has been relegated to one hour on Sunday morning and perhaps an hour on Wednesday evening. 

            This is not enough.  A new study reported that most (over 80%!) people who accept Christ as Savior do so before the age of twelve.  We know that most of our attitudes and values are in place before we start school.  Yet for many children, two hours (or less) a week is all the spiritual training they get.  Un-churched children get none.

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”  Deuteronomy 6:5-7

            We are told to teach the children diligently.  We are told to talk of God when we sit in our house.  Time to turn off the T.V.  We are to teach of God when we walk by the way.  Hang up the cell phone.  We are to talk about God and our love for Him when we lay down and when we get up.  Sounds like more than two hours a week to me.  The command was given to the whole nation of Israel, not just parents (vs. 4).  Everyone was to be involved in teaching the children, whether they had children of their own or not. 

If you are a parent, a grandparent, if you have nieces and nephews or if there are children in any aspect of your life, get involved.  Volunteer for Kid’s Creek, teach Sunday School, help at your midweek youth program, mentor a young person, or invite a backyard Bible school to be taught in your home. Invite Child Evangelism Fellowship to conduct a five-day club for the kids in your neighborhood this summer (http://www.cefonline.com/index.php?Itemid=100050&id=14&option=com_content&view=category). Start a Bible study. Volunteer at the local coffee house.  Get involved.

My children often remind me that I should be nice to them because they will be the ones choosing my nursing home.  Good training is important!  Our children are our future.  Our involvement can have eternal significance.

Dear Jesus, help me to remember the importance of the children in my life.  Regardless of how tired I am, or how many hours I’ve worked, regardless of how important the project I’m working on is, help me to be available.  Help me to invest in things of eternal significance.