The challenge of parenting

In studying Deuteronomy last week for Sunday morning I was struck by its emphasis on parents teaching children. In chapter 11 there were a number of references to children(v2, 5, 19-21). Stress is placed by Moses on the fact that the Israelites children haven’t seen the things the parents have so the parents are to teach them about the character and saving work of God as part of everyday life. Parents are to teach their children by action and words how to worship God.

As someone who has three boys I was very struck by this challenge, if you have children do you hear the challenge, if you have grandchildren, or are an Aunt or Uncle do you see the challenge? As a member of the congregation of a church (Deuteronomy is addressed to Israel as a nation so some corporate application is in mind) - the children will learn how to worship God from you.

But this is a charge to parents first and foremost. Don’t abdicate your responsibility. Our children will learn most about whether God is worth worshipping and how he is to be worshipped from us, by what we teach them and also how much they see of our fearing, walking, loving, serving and observing God and his word.

Parents your actions and words are crucial in teaching your children that God matters. Do they see he matters? Is it seen in the way we prioritise our week? Do they ever catch us reading the Bible or praying? Do we teach them God's word from a young age? Is it seen in our characters, in our desire to change?

Dads in particular as those who God calls to the role of head of the marriage do we lead in this area? Or have we abdicated here to our wives? Boys in particular need men, they need to understand what it means to be a man of God.

The consequences of abdicating that role are disastrous – we see it in Judges 2:10 “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.”

We must take seriously God's call to teach our children about our great, awesome God of grace.