What Does It Mean To Teach Our Children Diligently?


“You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be frontals on your foreheads. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9

What is diligence, anyway? Wikipedia's definition of diligence, is a zealous and careful nature in ones actions and work, exemplified by a decisive work ethic, budgeting of one’s time, monitoring one’s own activities, to guard against laziness, and putting forth full concentration in one’s work.

There is a house in the country, not far from where I live. I drive past there on my way into town and it is always such a blessing to read the red and white signs they have on their fence. The signs aren’t fancy; on the contrary they are quite simple and simply have the name of our Lord on them, ‘Jesus Christ’. I remember thinking, “Wow, those people are Christians and everyone knows it. They aren’t afraid to show it.” What a bold statement to make and what brave, obedient followers of Christ they must be. I say they must be obedient followers of Christ, after all who would have such a bold testimony and reminder for family, neighbors and strangers to see, unless they were living blameless lives.

“Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.” Psalm 15:2-5

“Imitate God, therefore in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

Professing Christ and Christianity comes as a great honor. At the same time professing Christ comes with great responsibility. How we live will most definitely impacts those around us. The question is, “Will it impact them positively or negatively?” Will we live our lives in such a way that others will say, “I want what they have. I want Jesus Christ to be my Lord. I want to repent of my sins and live for Christ.” Or will they say, “Those people that say they are Christians, aren’t very nice. They are greedy, judgmental and unforgiving.”

As parents, the first people whose lives we touch and impact for Christ are our children. In Deuteronomy 6:5-9 we are given a command, with detailed instructions on how and when to teach our children. If we are serious about following Christ and love God with all that is in us, it’s quite simple… every moment of our lives should be approached as teachable moments. That doesn’t mean we have to be perfect….we could never be perfect, but we must always remember that we are children of God and should behave as children of God. Our children are watching, sometimes watching closer than we know, which means we have the power to impact their faith. As parents, we are our children’s first teachers and one day we will all have to give an account to God for everything we did and didn’t do, for Him. Did we teach our children about Him and His ways? More importantly, did we live out what we taught them?

Every day we influence them whether we know it or not. Even the rebellious teenager, who will do anything to test his parents, is watching to see how his parents are going to react when trust is broken. We can either turn our backs on them, or we can extend to them the love and forgiveness of our God. How about when we come across others in need? Will we act in faith and provide for them, if we are able, or will we turn our backs on them and hope someone else comes to their aid. When there is a need within the Church that we could fill, because we have the skill set needed, will our children see us volunteer or walk away because we are greedy with our time? It’s up to us folks. It’s up to us to teach them how to follow Christ and what it means to follow Christ. It’s up to us to teach them that following Christ isn’t just saying we are Christians. It’s doing unto others…, it’s taking the time that we might not have, but doing it willingly and sacrificially, it’s giving to those who don’t have, feeding the hungry and so many other things and doing it all in the name of Jesus.

“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” Matthew 25:35-36

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me.” Matthew 25:40

Let’s go back to Wikipedia’s definition of diligence and then ask ourselves some questions in conjunction with the command God has given us in Deuteronomy 6:5-9.

1. Is there an eagerness and ardent interest in the teaching of God’s Word to our children?
2. Are we guarding against laziness and putting full concentration into teaching them?
3. Are we using every opportunity to point to God in thankfulness and reverence?
4. Are we living in such a way that others will see us as blameless, turning from sin and evil?

Some of us may be doing all of these things and more. Others, such as myself, might still need to work on a few things. Wherever we may be, taking an inventory from time to time can certainly be helpful and is indeed necessary. We need to be ‘Intentional Christians’. God tells us what He expects of us as His children. Now it’s our job to obey and move forward with a zeal that will show our God our love for Him, His Son and what He did for us on the cross.

Hopefully, my next blog update won't take almost two years. The past year has been full of a lot of opportunity for character growth. LOL. Marriage and raising children (especially teenagers) can be lots of fun and challenging at times. Lately the Lord has been speaking to my heart about my children and what I am teaching them about Him. It wasn't until this morning when I began toying with the idea of updating my blog, that I realized just how much I missed writing it.

Blessings!

Living Out Our Convictions

“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.”

1 John 4:17

In today’s world, living out or putting our Christian convictions into practice can be a constant struggle. Often times we feel we are offending others, or walking on eggshells just to keep the peace and not stir up trouble within our relationships, or families. If we go to Church and Sunday School and read our Bibles like we should, then we should have a pretty good gage on how God wants us to live. Some Christians feel very strongly about their beliefs, while others waver a bit and stand on fences when it comes to some topics. We must be careful not to judge eachother. Instead we should pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who waver and are not yet mature in the faith.


I want to be very clear about a few things. I am not perfect and my writing, well let's just say I pray I stay on topic and don't totally loose my readers. I humbly come before those who care to read my posts, with my thoughts on what I have read and what I feel God has pointed out to me within His word. I am merely a follower of Jesus Christ with a deep love for God and His Holy Word and believe he has much to say to us. It is my desire to study God’s Word and try to make sense of what God’s will is in my life, by using the Bible and the instructions given within, to glorify our Heavenly Father!

The topic of living out our convictions takes me to the book of Ephesians, one of my favorite books of the Bible. The book of Ephesians contains life changing spiritual truths and explains how as Christians we should be reflecting those spiritual truths in our behavior. The book of Ephesians clearly tells us that we have a duty as members of the body of Christ to be imitators of Christ. Being a Christian is much more than religion, it is a life style. If we don't practice what we preach, or claim to believe, how will we make a difference for Christ in this world? Below I will list just a few verses that jumped out at me durring my Bible study time.

- “Imitate God, therefore in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” Ephesians 5:1

In the world we live, as Christians we are considered uptight outcasts or fanatics when we try to follow the Scripture above. Every time we try to apply a Biblical View to something, that Worldly View fights us tooth and nail to win. We must stand firm!

- “Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.” Ephesians 5:3




In this world we live, sexual immorality is running ramped. We can’t even turn on our televisions without being bombarded by inappropriate material, not only for young children, but for decent people. Take control of your television, don't let it control you. Change the channel!!!
Greed also controls the lives of many, giving them little satisfaction with what they already have, only to leave them wanting for more.




- “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and course jokes- these are not for you. Instead let there be thankfulness to God.” Ephesians 5:4

We live in a world so desensitized to the way our Lord’s name is used. People use our Lord’s name carelessly and often in anger while cursing either people or situations they are in. They do it with such little regard, as if His name weren’t Holy. The crazy thing is if you try telling someone, who has been talking that way for more years than you have been alive, that it's wrong, they become offended.

As Christians, we will be misunderstood just as Christ was, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have an obligation to save a lost and dying world. We can’t just turn our faces when someone is doing something we know is wrong, or tune them out when they say something inappropriate. Instead we must pray they will listen, then approach them with patience and respect. We can’t make them listen, but we can plant seeds and leave the rest in God's hands. God will soften the heart, provide the conviction and faith, if such is his will.

“Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.” Ephesians 5:10

“Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.” Ephesians 5:6

“Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” 2 Timothy 2:23-26

Even though it constantly feels as though we are swimming against the current, we should never give up or give in. I know what I have to do, I need to go to the Lord in prayer, seeking guidance and strength. Then I must intentionally take a stand and live by my convictions. In doing so, I must be careful to set a good example for others to follow and not do anything that may cause someone to stumble. We need to live our lives in such a manner that on the day of judgment we can face our Heavenly Father and say, “I gave food to the poor, water to the thirsty, encouragement to the discouraged and introduced them all to your son. I did this all in your name and for your glory.” That seems like a tall order, but it’s really not. Not when God sent his only son to die on a cross for us. We owe him everything and every part of us and our lives and should we withhold anything from our Father, he has the power and the right to take it away. We must be faithful to be what God has called us to be and live by the convictions the Lord has placed in our hearts!