When you prioritize family discipleship, you are taking steps now that begin with the end in mind. You are investing in your kids now so that they will develop the character and faith they need tomorrow. If you have a hard time seeing further than what is in front of you, who is in your circle? Is there someone in your small group who can see bigger than you? Ask them to pray with you for you to see this way. Ask them to help point out ways they see your life in bigger ways. The goal should be a child who loves God, loves people, and imparts what God has revealed to them to others.
Deuteronomy 6 gives us a pattern for reproducing faith in our kids. We do the work in Deuteronomy 6 today because we know that it will pay off tomorrow even if tomorrow is many years down the road.
“These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and one your gates. “ DEUTERONOMY 6:6-9
Repeat
The first directive is to repeat or impress these words in our children’s lives. Biblical meditation is the repetition of God’s Word to the point that it is internalized and reshapes the heart, soul, mind and strength. You can accomplish this with these four practices:
Talk
Having a conversation regularly with your kids about God, who He is and what you have seen Him do in your life and the lives of others around you. When you read the Bible with your kids, help them find a way to relate that to their lives, by sharing a story of how you have seen it in your life. Or you can use what you are learning in your Bible reading as a way to spark a conversation about God with your kids. These conversations should be when you rise and when you go to bed; when you go out for pizza and on the way to a ball game. They should take place in the daily routine of life and the set times you coordinate in your families. There are many other ways to do this, but the point is to be intentional and consistent.
Bind
Look for ways to make God’s word visible to your family in everyday ways. Maybe you can find some art for your home or your kids can help create some art of a scripture verse to post on your fridge. How about in jewelry or T-shirts? My mom used sticky notes to post scripture and prayers all over our house and cars as a way to help keep it in front of us. I have art and hand written notes on my mirror in the bathroom to help remind me of God’s Word and promises through His Word.
Write
How about the simple task of writing down God’s Word together? What if we made a habit of writing our different passages of God’s Word as a part of our family devotions? Maybe Scripture would begin to take root, and HIs Words would flow from our hearts and mouths because it is constantly in our thoughts and on our pages.
Deuteronomy 6 gives us a pattern for reproducing faith in our kids. We do the work in Deuteronomy 6 today because we know that it will pay off tomorrow even if tomorrow is many years down the road.
“These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and one your gates. “ DEUTERONOMY 6:6-9
Repeat
The first directive is to repeat or impress these words in our children’s lives. Biblical meditation is the repetition of God’s Word to the point that it is internalized and reshapes the heart, soul, mind and strength. You can accomplish this with these four practices:
- Worship: time to commune with God and His works (Psalms 27:4; 77:12) Filter out distractions and focus on God’s written word.
- Instruction: time to better understand God’s Word and how it applies to our lives (Psalms 49:3; 119:27; 97f) Exchange your thoughts with God’s thoughts.
- Encouragement: time to motivate and inspire us in service for the works that God has called us to do. (Joshua 1:7-8)
- Transformation: time when we are receptive to God’s transforming work. (Psalms 4:4, 19:14, 119:15: Romans 12:2)
Talk
Having a conversation regularly with your kids about God, who He is and what you have seen Him do in your life and the lives of others around you. When you read the Bible with your kids, help them find a way to relate that to their lives, by sharing a story of how you have seen it in your life. Or you can use what you are learning in your Bible reading as a way to spark a conversation about God with your kids. These conversations should be when you rise and when you go to bed; when you go out for pizza and on the way to a ball game. They should take place in the daily routine of life and the set times you coordinate in your families. There are many other ways to do this, but the point is to be intentional and consistent.
Bind
Look for ways to make God’s word visible to your family in everyday ways. Maybe you can find some art for your home or your kids can help create some art of a scripture verse to post on your fridge. How about in jewelry or T-shirts? My mom used sticky notes to post scripture and prayers all over our house and cars as a way to help keep it in front of us. I have art and hand written notes on my mirror in the bathroom to help remind me of God’s Word and promises through His Word.
Write
How about the simple task of writing down God’s Word together? What if we made a habit of writing our different passages of God’s Word as a part of our family devotions? Maybe Scripture would begin to take root, and HIs Words would flow from our hearts and mouths because it is constantly in our thoughts and on our pages.
