Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the LORD swore to give your fathers.     Deuteronomy 11:16-22 HCSB

As I once heard a pastor say, “I had a drug problem. My momma drug me to church every time the doors were open.” My parents taught me a lot. Some things they took their time to teach me and some things I learned from observing them. My mother took her time to teach me to love the Lord and obey His commands. She taught me to work hard and be independent. My dad taught me how to ride a horse, shoot, and play baseball. He also taught me to not trust everyone I met but to observe them and be cautious around strangers. These were the things they took their time to teach me.

But there were other things that I learned from watching them. I learned the importance of church attendance and putting God first in your life from my mom. I learned that we put God first and that family takes a close second.

My dad taught me that we should never consider ourselves above others and that we should be kind to those in need. He taught me that if you could help someone then you should help them.

My mom wanted me to get a good education. She worked in a bank and saw the value of it. My dad was self-employed and only made it as far as 6th grade before having to leave school to help his dad on the farm. He was a veteran of World War II and had always had his own business. He didn’t value education quite so much. He had done just fine without it.

My dad wasn’t saved until he was 80 years old, just five years before his death. But he did have a heart for people in need and he did his best to instill that in me.

Now maybe you weren’t raised in church. Maybe you look at church like my dad looked at school, you do just fine without it. Do you think your children will fare well without a good, spiritual education? Do you know your Bible? Our Scripture passage today is referring to the Ten Commandments. God gave the commandments in Exodus 20:20 which is one book before Deuteronomy. He is trying to make the people understand the importance of recognizing all He did for them and His great power. He is trying to teach them to remember and obey His commands. He tells them to always keep in mind HIs commandments. He tells them to teach them to their children by talking about them when they sit down together in their house or when they are on the road together. He tells them to write them on their doorposts and their gates.

I don’t write Scripture passages on my gates and doorframes, but I do keep wall-hangings and plaques around my house with my favorite Scriptures on them. It helps to keep me focused on God’s word.

While I don’t have my own children, I try to recite an appropriate Scripture passage to my nieces, nephews or stepson or daughter-in-law when they are facing difficult times. I want to teach them that there is nothing they are going through that God can’t handle. I pray that someday I will have grandchildren and can do the same with them.

Are you teaching your children to get to know God? Are you teaching them to love Him with all their hearts, souls, and minds? Are you teaching them to put Him first in their lives? Are you teaching them His commandments and the importance of obeying them?

I don’t care how smart your child may be, if you are not teaching Him about God’s love you are failing Him. Matthew 6:33 tells us to focus on God and all we need will be given to us. In other words, if we put God first, God will take care of the rest.

Maybe you weren’t taught these things as a child. Matthew 18:3 says unless we become like children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. We must always be learning. If you don’t know the Bible, why not bring your kids to Sunday School and church and learn it together?

We live in a fallen world where there is evil all around us. Your children will either overcome it with good (Romans 12:19-21) or they will become lost in it. You could save your child a lot of suffering by teaching them to trust in and obey the Lord. Don’t fail to teach your child what is most important. These are the lessons that will bring them through this fallen world victoriously into a glorious eternity with God the Father.

Have a great day!