We love to think and talk about identity these days. Truly, identity has always been important. In fact, just before the Israelites entered the promised land, Moses spoke to them – to remind them of who they are, what their purpose was, how they should relate to others, and who God is. In this speech, he spoke directly to parents about their important role and what discipleship should look like within their families.
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (NKJV) – You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
• First – He says that “you shall love the lord your God.” If our affection for God and His ways is not genuine, our children will know it. We all know people who describe a childhood spent going to church regularly but without their parents modeling a faith in what was taught there or a relationship with the God they were hearing about. This experience often teaches a child that church, God, and the Bible are somehow “good” but they’re not real, not worthy of trust, and not powerful in any way. A mistake that parents sometimes make in teaching truth and a love for God is to fall into prescribing Scripture ONLY as a means of correction. Every time there is a problem, or behavior issue, we “prescribe” the Biblical cure. That could set in a child’s heart and mind that the Bible is ONLY a corrector and punisher, and not a light and source of life. Parents, we should not just prescribe the truth but actively live it in all its beauty! In other words, we shouldn’t just quote “You SHALL love the Lord your God,” but actually, LOVE the Lord our God.
• Next – He says to all those present that his “words … shall be in your heart.” This indicates a pursuit of God and an understanding of His word. For us today, this is our personal, daily time in Scripture, our weekly Bible studies, our meetings with godly mentors, our listening to podcasts of excellent Bible teachers - all the things we do to know God’s word, make it part of us, and apply our lives to it.
• Then – YOU shall teach them. The principles of God-glorifying living begin with the parents (not a pastor, Sunday school teacher, youth pastor, or school teacher). Mom and Dad, this is YOUR job. But, what if, as parents, we don’t feel well enough equipped to be the primary teachers of God’s ways to our children? Then we need to revisit the first and second things Moses just shared. Our growing love for God, our pursuit of Him and His word, our storing that word in our hearts – these things, along with the Holy Spirit Himself, will equip us for the work of teaching our children. It’s OK if we’re not already experts; we just need to be pursuing him and abiding in him.
• Finally – He tells us when the teaching should take place – when we sit at home, when we travel from one place to the next, when we go to bed, and when we wake up. Moses is saying that training in godly living should be present in every part of daily life. There are layers of great wisdom in this. A lifestyle such as Moses described will result in a Scripture-saturated home, a truth-saturated home. Not only that, but successful, experienced parents will tell you that the most effective training happens, not during periods of correction but during times of non-conflict, growing out of the intimate, loving relationship you enjoy with your children as you do life with them daily.
Deut 6: 4-7 has an amazing companion verse in the New Testament that you have undoubtedly heard, but maybe in a bit of a different way. The great commission in Matthew 28:19 (NKJV) says “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” Another proper way of translating that great commission of Jesus is “as you go.” “As you go, make disciples.” The call to make disciples is as much for moms and dads “as they go” to the store and soccer practice, as it is for evangelists and missionaries “as they go” into the mission field.
Seeing The Great Commission hand in hand with Moses’s teaching in Deuteronomy is a beautiful reminder that our calling is NOT just to make well behaved, smartly groomed, polite kids that make good decisions; our calling is to make disciples of Jesus. We have this amazing privilege of having our own homes as a mission field. We are called by God, through his grace, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to make disciples… of our children.
Here’s one more thing to consider: Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
The type of training we’re talking about provides a foundation of Scriptural truth and regular renewing of the mind that refreshes and counteracts the many other voices speaking into our families. It results from consistent, daily interaction based on God’s revelation. It’s not something we present to our children a few times and then expect them to absorb (like a math concept). We must teach actively through daily modeling of a life that reflects the reality that God defines life. He tells and shows us, through His word, what is true and what is valuable. Rather than simply fixing short-term behavior problems with an aim of getting our children to make our lives easier by complying, we must have a vision for instruction that forms and shapes our children’s hearts and develops an affection for Him and His ways.
The hope we have for our children isn’t for a good life of right choices, but for a NEW life from God’s graciousness. Romans 9:16 (ESV) says “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” Take comfort in that. This task might seem overwhelming and out of your reach. It actually is. Only God can do this, but he wants to use you. Think about it this way, it isn’t “with your hard work AND the grace of God, your kids will grow to be disciples of Jesus.” It’s “BY the grace of God your hard work will be used to make your children disciples of Jesus.” Thank the Lord - It starts and ends with the glorious grace of God.
This post is an excerpt from the Go parenting course available here.
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