Do your kids know your God?
On the credenza in our hallway sits several photo frames, some vases, and a few books. Two of those books are my boys’ baby books. It is not uncommon for one or both of them to run to their book and ask me to recount the stories that accompany the images they find: their first bath, experiencing various baby foods, and so on. It’s amusing to me because I would never expect a child to be so enthralled with baby pictures. But it’s not just pictures of any baby, it’s their pictures that capture them. They love seeing themselves as babies and imagining they remember the things I’m describing.
My kids may be able to tell you funny anecdotes or quotes from their past, but how much do they know about my own journey? Do they know, for example, that before they were even thought of, their mom was fighting cancer and found healing thanks to God’s touch? Do they know about the times I was in the pits of despair and I called on God and He quite literally delivered me from depression, anger, and anxiety?
The Bible is filled with verses that challenge me as a parent to teach my children more than just academics and social norms. The Word is clear that I need to be sharing my own story with my kids so that it lays a foundation for them to know God’s faithfulness in their own lives.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
– Deuteronomy 6:4-7
My children were born into a heritage rich with Godly legacy. They are not only the children of a pastor, but both of their grandfathers are pastors and their great-grandfather was a pastor, as well. But more than even that, they were born into a long line of imperfect people who found and fell in love with Jesus for themselves and watched a lifetime of God’s hand and plan in their lives. I want my children to know that they were prayed for and believed for and loved before they ever arrived on this earth.
Today, let’s get intentional about telling our kids just Who God has been to us and to those before us. Let’s not only tell them that God loves them, but that He has loved and cared for those who came before and will always continue to do so.
