When you think of the responsibility of teaching your children, structured moments of sharing knowledge with them likely come to mind. While these structured teaching moments are valuable, they are not the only teaching moments we have. You see, every moment we spend with the children in our lives is a moment to teach them as we lead by example. The question is, will we recognize each precious moment with the children in our lives as a moment to teach them?
Moses instructs the Israelites to make the most of every moment to teach the children in their lives in Deuteronomy 6. In this passage of Scripture, he tells the Israelites to repeat the teachings of Scripture "again and again" to their children (verse 7). He continues, saying, "Talk about them when you are home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up… Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (verses 7-9). In other words, we must take every opportunity that we have to teach the children in our lives about God, His word, and how to honor Him by the way we live our lives. Every moment, from waking up, lying down in the evening, and everything in between, is an opportunity to teach our children. Even in the mundane moments, we have an opportunity to teach our children. For example, being stuck in traffic on the way to school is a perfect opportunity to model patience. In fact, it might just be the seemingly insignificant moments that have the greatest impact on the children in our lives as they observe us responding to the circumstances that we face every day.
Make no mistake, the children in our lives are watching us every moment of every day. We get to teach them how to follow Christ in the big moments, the small moments, and the mundane moments. This responsibility calls for us to live each moment with purpose, knowing that our children are watching us and that we get to be the ones who teach and influence them. Let’s commit to living each day on purpose, looking for every opportunity to teach our children how to follow Christ.
As you go throughout your day, pay attention to the moments you have to teach the children in your life, both big and small. As you recognize these opportunities, take them. Commit to making this practice of teaching the children in your life with each moment you spend with them a regular habit.
7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
10 “The Lord your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build. 11 The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce. You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant. When you have eaten your fill in this land, 12 be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 13 You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name.
14 “You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations, 15 for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and he will wipe you from the face of the earth. 16 You must not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massah. 17 You must diligently obey the commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 19 You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the Lord said you would.
20 “In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’
21 “Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. 22 The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. 23 He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors. 24 And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. 25 For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.’
