Parenting God’s Wayનમૂનો

Your Commitment to God’s Word

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 tells us, as God’s people and as parents, to have an unwavering commitment to His commands:

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

We can be sure that whenever God tell us to do things in a certain way, it’s because He knows His way is best. God’s very aware of the distractions offered by the world. He knows the ease with which we can be pulled away from the path of righteousness if we don’t keep His instructions at the forefront of our minds and our conversations. Of course, God doesn’t expect us to speak exclusively about spiritual matters. Note that the above verses refer primarily to times of leisure: resting at home, taking a walk, spending time with family. We all have jobs to do and business to transact. But Deuteronomy 6:6-7 implies that if God’s Word is a regular part of our private conversations, it will infuse all of our conduct when we—and our children—are “out in the world.”

If you’ve not yet arrived at this place in your faith journey, don’t be discouraged. Commitment to God’s Word at such a level is part of a lifelong process of growing closer to Him and submitting to His will. Your desire to be a successful parent is wonderful motivation for furthering that process in your own life. The more you fill your heart with His words and guidance, the more those words will flow from you to others. It may sound impossible to be so immersed in God’s instructions that you speak of them when sitting, when walking, when lying down, and when getting up, but remember that God has promised to empower you to do whatever He commands (Phil. 4:13). Trust the Lord to honor your desire to follow Him, and watch over time as He increases your hunger for His words and writes them on your heart. 

As you work through the material that follows, ask God each day to strengthen your ability to abide in Him, live by His commands, and live out His Word. Ask Him to plant His truth deep within your heart so that it becomes a natural part of your conversation with your children and others. If you do so, in time you will see you and your family blessed immeasurably by God’s response to these prayers.