18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21
The kids are home everyday. Currently it’s snow, but sooner or later it will be Summer vacation. Either way, these days offer a tremendous opportunity.
When school is in session, it’s difficult spend much time helping our children grow closer to Christ. By the time they go to school, come home, do homework, spend any time at all at some sort of practice and then have a bit of free time to wind down, there’s little time for anything.
But even if you have to work all day, the lack of homework and other extra-curricula activities offer some time to spend implementing this piece of scripture.
Of course in order to truly carry these words out to the end, you’ll need to be sure to work on verse 18. “Fix God’s Word in your heart and mind.” How can we put that into practice? God suggests we tie them on our hands and foreheads. Do you have a piece of jewelry that reminds you to fix yourself on Jesus Christ? Perhaps post-its on your refrigerator or cubicle would help. I have a friend who used to (and may still) hang scripture all around her house (and our work place). The mirror in the restroom at the work would have random verses that changed every couple of weeks.
After you find a way to fix God’s words in your heart, then you can teach them to your children. God’s recommendation is to talk to your children about His word every time you sit down, when you’re walking along the road (or driving), just before they go to bed and as soon as they get up in the morning. In other words find ways to work a message of Jesus Christ into every moment of your life.
They key to really make this work is to not make it a chore, but an enjoyable part of your day. When your child does something that makes you laugh ask him, “Do you think you made God laugh?” Talk about the fact that we are precious to God. He calls us His children. So obviously what makes our parents laugh must make God laugh! When your child won’t go to bed ask her what God must think about it. Remind her that the Bible says to honor our parents, so it must make God very sad and disappointed when we don’t do what Mom and Dad asks.
God gave us an awesome responsibility when He gave us children. The greatest gift we can ever give to them is to help them find true love and freedom in Jesus Christ. Use these slower paced days to build that foundation.
