COCUSA BLOG
For parents who want their families to have fun while growing closer to Jesus and to each other
Fostering a Heart for God's Word - Discipleship at Home
Sometimes I feel inadequate to guide my children throughout their life. When I really stop to think about it, it’s easy for me to feel overwhelmed by everything I want them to become. I want them to love others, pursue their passions and gifting, and stay far away from the Green Bay Packers. Mostly, I hope my wife Emily and I can disciple them and model Christ for them in a way that helps our children find an authentic love for and faith in Jesus. Discipleship at home starts with our own relationship with Jesus, but the next aspect is just as crucial. Here's a few ways you can foster a heart for God's Word in your kids.
In September, my wife Emily and I will welcome our third child into the world. Third. As in three human beings for whom we are responsible. Sometimes I feel inadequate to guide these three little blessings throughout their life. When I really stop to think about it, it’s easy for me to feel overwhelmed by everything I want them to become. I want them to love others, pursue their passions and gifting, and stay far away from the Green Bay Packers. Mostly, I hope Emily and I can disciple them and model Christ for them in a way that helps them find an authentic love for and faith in Jesus.
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” - Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Parents First
These verses give us a template for how to disciple our kids. God uses His Word to help us understand His nature— who He is and how we can have a relationship with Him. Spending time in the Bible is crucial in order to know God. We as parents must love the Lord our God wholeheartedly and seek to know Him better through studying and applying the Bible on a daily basis. If we want our kids to find a heart for God’s Word, we must model that in our own lives.
This can be difficult depending on how old our kids are and what stage of life we’re in, but even allowing our children to watch us spend time in the Word helps them see the value and importance of it in our lives. Parents are the primary model of God’s Word to our kids. Although God has given parents many resources and relationships to help disciple our kids, this is not a responsibility we can shift to youth leaders, pastors, or other family members.
Help Develop the Habit
Discipleship at home starts with our own relationship with Jesus, but the next aspect is just as crucial. If we want to foster a heart for God and His Word, we have to encourage our kids to read the Bible and interact with it regularly. Moses says to repeat God’s commands to your children and talk about them at home, on the road, when you go to bed, and when you rise. He uses these words to suggest that we should be discussing God’s commands with our kids constantly and consistently, no matter where we are. Here are some suggestions for helping your kids interact with God’s Word:
- Find an age-appropriate Bible for your kids like The Jesus Storybook Bible for younger kids or The Kids Slimline NLT Bible for elementary-age children. We use the Jesus Storybook Bible with my kids. They love to look at the pictures while we read to them, and they are learning that every story points to Jesus.
- Find a Routine. Consistency is crucial in order to form a habit. Find a time that works for your family and commit to it. We read in the Bible every night before bed and every morning during breakfast. Although my kids are only 1 and 3, they both value these times, frequently reminding me when it’s time to read. Remember that it is just as important for you as a parent to form your own personal Bible reading habits as well.
- Apply what you’ve studied. At Camp we like to ask these questions in order to put our Bible study into action:
- What does this teach us about God?
- What does this teach us about people?
- What lessons can we learn and apply today?
- Who will you share this with? When?
This might look different for your family depending on how old your kids are, but we need to take the time to discuss what we are learning and how we are applying it in order to grow. Ask these questions around the dinner table and be sure to follow up with what your kids share throughout the week. Be ready to share your own answers with your kids!
Don’t Be Discouraged
If you’re like me, this responsibility can feel like such a blessing and a bit of a burden at the same time. Remember, spending time studying and applying the Bible is an issue of the heart, not an obligation. As our hearts grow closer to Jesus, we are able to model our faith for our kids.
How have you helped your kids study the Bible? What challenges have you faced? What tips or resources do you have to share?
Reading for Closer Relationships with Your Kids - Web Catch of the Week
Last week as my wife and I were cleaning up at the end of the day, I heard the sound of pages ripping coming from our family room. When I entered the room, I saw my son sitting on the floor tearing pages out of books. I quickly stopped him and told him it was wrong to destroy books. When he asked me why it was wrong, I had to pause and think. Why are books so important? In the increasingly digital world, are books really necessary for kids anymore? After doing some research, I found 2 sources that helped me use books to build a closer relationship with my kids.
Last week as my wife and I were cleaning up at the end of the day, I heard the sound of pages ripping coming from our family room. When I entered the room, I saw my son sitting on the floor tearing pages out of books. I quickly stopped him and told him it was wrong to destroy books. When he asked me why it was wrong, I had to pause and think. Why is it important for us to keep these books in good condition? Besides taking care of the things that have been given to us, I wanted him to understand the important role books play in our lives. Realizing I didn’t know how to explain this, I wanted to learn more about how reading impacts kids' development.
Dr. Perri Klass, Medical Director of Reach Out and Read, outlines the importance of reading with our kids in her article, “Bedtime Stories for Young Brains”. Beyond the brain and language development that occurs when a student reads or is read to, I really appreciated Klass’s focus on how reading creates a face-time, skin-to-skin connection between a parent and a child. Her article helped me understand that my kids both return to the same books over and over again because there is a security in the routine of reading Dr. Suess’s The Grinch together— even if it’s for the third time that day.
Every night before going to bed, I read a few stories from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones with my kids. It’s a resource we also use at Camp because it does a great job of helping kids see that the Bible is all about Jesus. Besides reading for mental development, Sally Lloyd-Jones explains in her blog post “Teach Children the Bible is Not About Them” that reading the Bible to our kids helps them (and us) become a part of God’s “magnificent story” to His people. It’s liberating to think that I don’t always need to explain or over-explain time and time again the stories we are reading together as a family. Sometimes, it’s beneficial to simply let God’s stories speak for themselves, because there is power in the Word of God.
What about you? How do you incorporate reading into your family time? What are your kids’ go-to books when it’s time to read? Leave a comment and let us learn from you!
Search the Blog
