Not too long ago, I saw a photo on Facebook that read “If you don’t teach your children to believe in Jesus, then world will teach them not to.” As I sat staring at my screen, I realized their world revolved around me right now and then wondered what messages my words, actions, and lifestyle reflecting for my kids.
The more I thought about it, the more I thought we’re like everyone else as a typical Christian family, we go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays. We pray at meal times and before bed. We say a prayer as we embark on trips and my children often find me with my Bible open in the mornings. But was it enough? Is there more I could be doing to make the Bible come to life?
And then in the silence God whispered Deuteronomy 6: 4-9.
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a] 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 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.8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
The thought hit me, it’s not enough to say I love Jesus, I needed to talk about it often, to apply it in everyday situations, to parent my children with scripture And this one itty bitty, tiny little thought sparked a revolution in my mothering. This began the exciting challenge and journey towards parenting my children through passages in the Bible and creating 20 foundational verses to help our family grow through scripture.
Practice
No sooner than the thought hit me when screams broke out from Tori’s bedroom. There I found her in tears and Elijah looking guilty. Using my Oh-So-Handy-Criminal-Justice-Degree, I fished out the facts to discover Elijah had grown frustrated because Tori didn’t want to play pretend the way he wanted to (Don’t you hate it when you don’t get your way?) which resulted in Elijah clobbering her sister with his fist.
“So you hit your sister because you thought your ideas were better than Tori’s?” Elijah looked as if I had read his mind and was afraid of the punishment when I replied, “Let’s look in the Bible about what it says about selfishness.” Together, all three of us looked up passages about what God’s word thought on the word “selfish” when we hit the golden passage. 1 Peter 3:8; together we wrote it in a way they could understand and memorize it. Then opportunities sprouted like weeds to began applying it to fights, actions, and behaviors.
Live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 1st Peter 3:8
It’s amazing how one little picture and one little thought sparked a new way to bring the Bible to life for my kids. I honestly love being able to point my kids back to the Bible, to dissect stories and understand why Jesus said this or that. And the best part is watching my children recite passages they’ve hidden in their hearts at a moment’s notice–even if they are reciting it because I’m the one who needs to hear it. 🙂
Printables
If you’re wondering what is missing from your faith journey as a family, maybe it’s time to begin applying the Bible to real life. God asks us to talk about it often and to love him with all our being, this means we have to be in the Word to know the Word and to share the Word. When we dust off that ancient book and read aloud the words written within, it becomes a road map, not only for ourselves but for our children. It brings the Bible to life. 🙂 If you aren’t sure what passages to begin teaching to your family, below is a list to get started, you can click here for a printable too: TMI – 20 Foundational Verses for Families to Memorize.
And if you would like cute, fun cards to help your kids memorize, click here: Owl Scripture Cards – 2o Verses For Kids.
As you begin bringing the Bible to life, use the back of your Bible as a reference tool to search what God says about things like:
Sharing
Selfishness
Pride
Compassion
Then break down the verse in a way your child understands, challenge them to hide God’s word in their hearts, focus on one verse a week to memorize and apply it as opportunities arise.
20 Verses to Grow Your Family’s Faith
- I can do everything in Christ who gives me strength. — Philippians 4:13
- And do not forget to do good and to share with others. –Hebrews 13:16
- Give thanks to the Lord, for he is God. His love endures forever. — Psalm 118:1
- Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as Christ Jesus forgave you. –Ephesians 4:32
- All things were made by him. — John 1:3
- Finally be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes. –Ephesians 6:10-11
- Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. –Romans 10:13
- Set your mind on things above, not earthly things. –Colossians 3:2
- Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path. –Psalm 119:105
- I am with you always. –Matthew 28:20
- Anyone who knows the good he ought to do but doesn’t do it, sins. –James 4:17
- Encourage one another build each other up. –1 Thessalonians 5:11
- Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. –Psalm 34:14
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. –Matthew 22:37
- A cheerful heart is good medicine. — Proverbs 17:22
- Do everything without complaining or arguing. –Philippians 2:14
- Do to others as you would have them to do you. Luke 6:31
- When I am afraid, I will trust in you. –Psalm 56:3
- A friend loves at all times. –Proverbs 17:17
- Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. –Ephesians 6:1
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