Our church is finishing up our Vacation Bible School this week. This year is special because it is my wife and my 30th VBS. We have seen so many children create all kinds of crazy themes and have had a great time each year. VBS is a treasured week each year, although it seems to get a little more exhausting as we age.

I really enjoy working with children and teaching them about the Lord and His Word. Nothing is more beautiful than seeing a child embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now I have adults that remind me that their relationship with the Lord started as a child during one of our VBS weeks.

Parents have a very small window of opportunity with their children, and so much needs to be accomplished. Education, life skills, character development and social skills are all important for a child to learn and develop. Then there is all the busyness of life, sports, entrainment and school activities.

There is so much to do in the short time of childhood that perhaps the most important thing that must be accomplished is often overlooked. In our crazy world today, where children are so confused about morality, struggling with identity, and hurting from the modern family dysfunctional breakdown, we desperately need a refocus on the importance of helping our children understand who the Lord is, what the Bible teaches, and how to have a dynamic relationship with the Lord. If we do not, our children will embrace the values of a broken world and the lies of Satan. 

Moses was near the end of his life. His last act before his death was to instruct the new generation of Israelites on the Law the Lord had given to them at Mount Sinai. Moses proclaimed in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” He told the Hebrews that it was essential for them to be very active in teaching about the Lord and His commandments to the next generation.

Consider what Moses said. He gave four directions to help parents face the immense task of teaching their children about the Lord.

First, it is the responsibility of parents to teach their children about the Lord. God designed the home to ensure that parents are the primary influence in their children’s spirituality. Many parents fall into the trap that someone else will teach their children about the Lord. The church can never replace the role of a parent. Parents, utilize the church as a tool to help you accomplish perhaps the most important task you have to complete in your child’s life.

Secondly, Moses told them that before you ever teach your children about the Lord, it must start in your heart. This is why many parents ignore the responsibility of teaching their children about the Lord. How can we teach about the Lord without knowing Him or walking in His ways? Robert Bruce, in his book “Becoming Spiritual Soulmates with Your Child,” states:

When both parents attend Bible study in addition to the Sunday service, 72% of their children attend Sunday school when grown.

When only the father attends Sunday school, 55% of the children attend when grown.

When only the mother attends Sunday school, 15% of the children attend when grown.

When neither parent attends Sunday school, only 6% of the children attend when grown.

See the importance of parents leading by example in teaching their children about the Lord?

Thirdly, Moses described the tenacity of teaching your children about the Lord. He said that parents are to teach their children with all diligence. Moses would remind parents of the supreme importance of teaching their children about the Lord. Teaching your children about the Lord has eternal impacts.

Can you imagine eternity without your children or grandchildren? Spirituality and a relationship with the Lord must be the most important task in a parent’s responsibility. Keep this task upfront and be passionate about its importance. If you, as a parent, take this task lightly and often ignore it, you will regret it soon.

inally, Moses told the Hebrews to teach about the Lord when they sit, walk, lie, and rise up for the new day. Consistency and faithfulness are essential in teaching your child about the Lord and for their development spiritually. Consistency, or the lack of it, will say so much to your child. They will adopt your attitude about the Lord and likely take it further than you do. If you ignore the Lord and treat spiritual things lightly, your child will most likely completely ignore them. Don’t tell them to go to church; take them. Let them see your consistent walk with the Lord, and you will find them walking in your steps. Be tenacious in your commitment to the Lord.

I pray for each of you as parents. You have the difficult task of raising children in this crazy world today. Do not attempt to do it without the Lord. Seek Him, serve Him, and follow Him. Plow a new path for your children to follow. Cling to the promise we find in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

There is too much at risk to take this immense responsibility lightly.