Izzy and 'family time'
Yesterday I spent the day with Izzy and her family.
Izzy is my goddaughter and she is just beautiful. My prayer for her is that she would grow up knowing Jesus as her Saviour and friend.
One thing I love when I go and visit them is being part of 'family time', which is when the whole family reads the Bible together and think about what it means.
Now whilst I was growing up my mum and dad would read the Bible with me, but it wasn't something we did every day. It wasn't a planned thing. They are both Christians and were very happy for me to read the Bible, take me to Sunday school, pay for me to go on Christian camps, they wanted me to learn about Jesus, but often the responsibilty was given over to others to do that.
God is clear in the Bible that it is the parent's who are responsible for their children learning about him. (Although the rest of the church family are involved in supporting them and helping them to do that.)
I experienced my first 'family time' when I was babysitting for some friends a few years ago. Just before they put the children to bed, dad read the Bible gave a one line explanation of how when Jesus calmed the storm it showed that he was God and said a short prayer. Both children were little, Becki couldn't have been older than a couple of months. At one time I would have thought what's the point then? She's so little she doesn't understand. But you see I'd never really taken on what God says what parents should do. I'd never really thought about what the following means in practise:
"Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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 upon 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. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your homes and on your gates." (Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 4 - 9. The Bible)
"Fathers...bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians chapter 6 verse 4. The Bible)
Whole books have been written on this subject by people a lot wiser than me. And whilst I am not a parent and may not understand the practicalities of nappies, formula feeds, child trust funds etc I am a Christian and can understand what God says in the Bible about parenting.
The bottom line is this: God says parents have a responsibilty to teach their children about him.
How parents do this will vary from family to family. As I've spent time with Christian families trying to do this...I've observed a few things.
1. It needs to be planned. You plan to take your children to ballet class, football, the park, so you need to plan when are you going to sit with your child and read God's word with them. Otherwise this time will get 'pushed out' of the day by other less important activities.
2. It can be done at any time. Some families read the Bible together at a mealtime. Some have family time just before bed. Some late afternoon when dad gets in from work. Whatever works best for you as a family.
3. Dad takes the lead. Mum is involved but dad initiates. When dad can't be there mum will still ensure that this time happens.
4. When other people are there i.e. babysitters (!) they join in. Family time doesn't get pushed aside because there's someone else around.
5. It takes a few minutes. We're not talking about planning a 20 minute talk.
6. The children know the routine. Parents are modelling how great it is from an early age to read God's word.
7. The children love it :-)
8. And this I think is key: Start early! Don't wait for the child to turn 2, start now! (And if you haven't already started, better late than never)
I know a lot of Christians who have children. And I can tell which families have these daily times as their children know those fundamental Bible truths such as - Who made the world? God. Who is Jesus? King. Why did Jesus have to die? To save us. And whilst they may not yet understand the depths of these truths yet, that's not the parent's job to give understanding, but God's. The prayer is that as they grow God would help them to understand these truths.
When someone becomes a parent they are given lots of advice on the practical side of how to be a parent and taught important things which are essential for the good upbringing of their child. But are they taught by the church what God says a parent should do? I always thought a good parent (in God's eyes) would take their child to Sunday school, send them on camps, say grace before meals (and these are all good things) but it was not my experince, nor did I see the planned daily time modelled in the home. And I can't remember ever hearing it be taught.
"Truth assumed is truth lost", can't remember where that quote came from, but it's true isn't it?
So vicars / ministers are you teaching your congregation (your whole congregation) about parenting? Don't just teach those who are parents / about to become parents - teach the whole church so that they can support families as they try to do this.
And the rest of us...let's be praying for Christian parents as they seek to honour and obey God in the way they bring up their children. And let's encourage them to do so.
P.S. 'Table Talk' is a good resource for families who want to explore the Bible together. Can be done around the table after a meal. Suggested age is 4 to 12 years. Can be purchased from the Good Book Company www.thegoodbook.co.uk. I've never used it but believe it to be a good resource. Any other resources out there that people would recommend?
Izzy is my goddaughter and she is just beautiful. My prayer for her is that she would grow up knowing Jesus as her Saviour and friend.
One thing I love when I go and visit them is being part of 'family time', which is when the whole family reads the Bible together and think about what it means.Now whilst I was growing up my mum and dad would read the Bible with me, but it wasn't something we did every day. It wasn't a planned thing. They are both Christians and were very happy for me to read the Bible, take me to Sunday school, pay for me to go on Christian camps, they wanted me to learn about Jesus, but often the responsibilty was given over to others to do that.
God is clear in the Bible that it is the parent's who are responsible for their children learning about him. (Although the rest of the church family are involved in supporting them and helping them to do that.)
I experienced my first 'family time' when I was babysitting for some friends a few years ago. Just before they put the children to bed, dad read the Bible gave a one line explanation of how when Jesus calmed the storm it showed that he was God and said a short prayer. Both children were little, Becki couldn't have been older than a couple of months. At one time I would have thought what's the point then? She's so little she doesn't understand. But you see I'd never really taken on what God says what parents should do. I'd never really thought about what the following means in practise:
"Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 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 upon 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. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your homes and on your gates." (Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 4 - 9. The Bible)
"Fathers...bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians chapter 6 verse 4. The Bible)
Whole books have been written on this subject by people a lot wiser than me. And whilst I am not a parent and may not understand the practicalities of nappies, formula feeds, child trust funds etc I am a Christian and can understand what God says in the Bible about parenting.
The bottom line is this: God says parents have a responsibilty to teach their children about him.
How parents do this will vary from family to family. As I've spent time with Christian families trying to do this...I've observed a few things.
1. It needs to be planned. You plan to take your children to ballet class, football, the park, so you need to plan when are you going to sit with your child and read God's word with them. Otherwise this time will get 'pushed out' of the day by other less important activities.
2. It can be done at any time. Some families read the Bible together at a mealtime. Some have family time just before bed. Some late afternoon when dad gets in from work. Whatever works best for you as a family.
3. Dad takes the lead. Mum is involved but dad initiates. When dad can't be there mum will still ensure that this time happens.
4. When other people are there i.e. babysitters (!) they join in. Family time doesn't get pushed aside because there's someone else around.
5. It takes a few minutes. We're not talking about planning a 20 minute talk.
6. The children know the routine. Parents are modelling how great it is from an early age to read God's word.
7. The children love it :-)
8. And this I think is key: Start early! Don't wait for the child to turn 2, start now! (And if you haven't already started, better late than never)
I know a lot of Christians who have children. And I can tell which families have these daily times as their children know those fundamental Bible truths such as - Who made the world? God. Who is Jesus? King. Why did Jesus have to die? To save us. And whilst they may not yet understand the depths of these truths yet, that's not the parent's job to give understanding, but God's. The prayer is that as they grow God would help them to understand these truths.
When someone becomes a parent they are given lots of advice on the practical side of how to be a parent and taught important things which are essential for the good upbringing of their child. But are they taught by the church what God says a parent should do? I always thought a good parent (in God's eyes) would take their child to Sunday school, send them on camps, say grace before meals (and these are all good things) but it was not my experince, nor did I see the planned daily time modelled in the home. And I can't remember ever hearing it be taught.
"Truth assumed is truth lost", can't remember where that quote came from, but it's true isn't it?
So vicars / ministers are you teaching your congregation (your whole congregation) about parenting? Don't just teach those who are parents / about to become parents - teach the whole church so that they can support families as they try to do this.
And the rest of us...let's be praying for Christian parents as they seek to honour and obey God in the way they bring up their children. And let's encourage them to do so.
P.S. 'Table Talk' is a good resource for families who want to explore the Bible together. Can be done around the table after a meal. Suggested age is 4 to 12 years. Can be purchased from the Good Book Company www.thegoodbook.co.uk. I've never used it but believe it to be a good resource. Any other resources out there that people would recommend?
posted by Dawn at 7:52 AM
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