Hear, O Israel
God wants us not only to love Him with all our
heart, all our soul and all our might; but He wants us to raise our children
with this same love of Him. I have heard
all too many people say that they aren’t raising their children with any
religious education because they are letting their children decide for
themselves when they’re older.
Since I’m an educator, I’m in the position of
hearing lots of conversations about what is happening to the youth of today and
concerns for their well-being. If the
parents don’t set the foundation for their child’s religious beliefs when they
are young, how will the child learn to turn to God when they are faced with
issues like drinking, smoking, drugs, sexual involvement, etc?
Children learn by their parent’s example and those
around them. If they don’t see the
people around them making God a priority in their lives, then the example they
follow may be of peers who say that doing a little “Meth,” “Ecstasy” or other
drug will help them unwind and get more in touch with themselves. I’ve watched all too many talk shows where
parents are tearfully expressing their regrets about their child who was lost
to an overdose.
Maybe we are doing a huge disservice to our children
by waiting until they are old enough to make their own choices about God. Maybe we need to take an active role in our
children’s religious education now!
Here is a related passage:
*Therefore shall ye lay up these My Words in your
heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may
be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children,
speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the
way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deuteronomy, Chapter 11, verses 18-19.
Because this is an example of how I’ve applied this Bible passage to my life, it doesn't necessarily reflect the whole meaning of the passage.
Please click on comments below to share your suggestions. Thanks! Debbie
