How do we encourage our children to read and love the Word of God without becoming legalistic about it?
Last week I met an inspirational lady who survived a prison camp because of the way she clung to the truths she had memorised from Scripture. It was her faith and trust in the God of the Bible that enabled her faith to survive in the most difficult of times.
In my own life, studying the Bible – the very words of God – has played an enormous part in me getting to know God and learning how to surrender my life to Jesus day by day. Of course I get it wrong much of the time, but the more I read the Bible, the more I love Jesus and the more I realise my need for him. The more I read it, the more I know I need to read it. I love hiding away with my Bible and journal but I still recognise that it can be quite a spiritual battle.
If it's a battle for me, then I know there is even more of a battle when it comes to sharing the truth of the Bible with my kids.
If we're honest, it can feel a little over the top to sit down with them and read the Word together. It feels cheesy, Christian cringey. I'm a little embarrassed at how other people might react to our earnest desire to teach our kids truth. I worry that people will think we are legalistic and pharisaical.
I've been working hard at getting over the cringe factor and for the last couple of years we've been intentional about reading the Bible regularly with our kids. We often forget, and we are easily distracted (by a nerf gun, today). It often feels like hard work but at other times we are amazed at the precious things our kids come out with. We certainly won't win any prizes for being the most regular and profound bible readers but by God's grace and power within us we will keep going.
So to answer the question I asked at the beginning: I think we just have to get on with it. Work on finding a regular time of day to open up the Bible together. Invite your kids in on your quiet times. Show them how you journal and pray. Share with them what God is speaking to you about.
Deuteronomy 6 says, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give to you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up...'
Love the Bible for yourselves. I'm challenged that my kids should see me reading my Bible more than they see me browsing on my phone. That they would see how I fill my heart with truth from the Bible as a priority.
And pray that as families Christ would give us his power to know him better. That our hearts would each be captured by his great love for us and we would treasure him above everything else.
Lizzie Bassford is a wife, mum and missionary living in inner-city Manchester. Follow her on Twitter @captivated01.
