Teach Your Children Why

by Christina Huffman | More from this Blogger

08 Apr 2006 01:33 PM

All of my best thoughts hit me at about 2:00 a.m. and the one that hit me last night was, "Family devotions are not all that significant." (Pause here for effect.)

Did I just here a pin drop? Read on and you will see my train of thought.

I am a Christian mother and my greatest desire is for my children to know God and to walk in His ways. I do not want kids who just obey the rules. I want them to understand the heart behind the rules.

As parents it is easy to tell our kids what to do and not to do. What we need to do is take time to teach and explain why the rules exist, all the time. For example, if I simply tell my kids that they must wash their hands before every meal, they will obey, but they won't know why they are doing it. If I'm not there to remind them, I'm not sure that they would do it. However, if I take the time to teach them about why washing hands is important, then they will remember. They will realize that the hand washing rule is in order because I love them and I want to protect them from getting sick.

God has rules too and as parents we have a responsibility to not just tell our children what the rules are, but to teach them about God's heart. During devotional time, we can do this. However, an hour a week or a few minutes a day is not what will make the biggest impact. The biggest impact will be in the everyday stuff.

Sometimes I forget, but I try to take little opportunities and everyday situations to teach my children about God's ways. One day I was in Wal Mart trying to load a fifty pound bag of dog food in my cart. A kind lady came over and helped me. I explained to my kids, "That sure was nice of her to help me. You know, God loves it when we help our neighbors. In fact He tells us in the Bible to love our neighbor as our self." I used a practical everyday situation to teach the kids about one of God's commands. They see that God's rule is good and they see how it plays out.

I guess what I am saying is that devotions are great. I have recommended one of my favorite character building books in a previous post and I have found that book to be a great tool in the training of my children. But, by far, it's how we live everyday that will shape them and instill a love for God and His ways in their hearts. So please, do devotions with your children. It is important, but not more important than how you live and what you teach them everyday.

Learn more about Christina Huffman

Christina Huffman is a wife, a homeschooling mom with four children, and a freelance writer. Christina and her husband Joshua have been married for ten years.

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