To every loving parent and grandparent, there is nothing more important in this world than our kids. It was true in Bible days, too. God challenged the Israelites to take the parenting and training of their children seriously. In Deuteronomy 6:4-5 He says: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” In other words, raise your children and train them to know the ways of God and the Word of God.
As you pray for your kids every day, pray also for yourself. Pray that God will allow your influence, mentorship, and training to be deliberate and effective. Ask God to help you do this vital work well. Ask Him to help your words and actions bring clarity to God’s Word and the behavior He desires from all of His children. To a large extent, children will be what they see. And before they can be, they need to see. Let’s all pray that our children will hear from us and see in us what God intends for all of us. Amen.