Make an Eternal Difference

Deuteronomy 6:4-7, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

These words, spoken by Moses, are some of the most important in raising a child and helping that child develop his own faith.  First, YOU must love God with everything you have – heart, soul, strength (and Christ adds mind).  As you love God with everything and devote yourself to Him, your children will see this.  We need to model faith to our children.  They need to see how important our faith is to us.  They need to see faith LIVED out!

Next, God’s words must be on your heart.  The only way to truly have God’s word on our hearts is by spending time with Him – in prayer, in worship, and in study.  What is your prayer life like?  Do your children see you pray?  What is your worship time like?  Do your children see you worship?  Do you study the word of God?  Do your children see you reading your Bible?  Again, it is important to model for our children what we want them to do.

And finally, we need to TALK to our kids about Godly things!  How often do you talk to your child about your faith?

“Talk about them when you sit at home.”  What do you talk about around the dinner table?  Do you point out things on TV or in movies that might not portray how God wants us to live and then talk to your children about what the right choice should be?
“and when you walk on the road”  What to you listen to in the car?  What do you talk about?  Drive time can be a special time to spend talking with and worshiping with your kids – they are a captive audience!!
“when you lie down”  Do you pray at night with your kids?  Do you read the Bible before bed with your kids?  Bedtime can be a special bonding time for you and your children while also bonding with their Heavenly Father.
“and when you get up.”  Mornings can be so hectic but imagine what would change in your day, and your child’s,  if you took a few minutes to pray together and to remind each other that God will be with you throughout the day.  Take this time to ask God to help you live for him throughout the day.
Making a few changes in your life can make an eternal difference for your child's!