We grew up attending church on a regular basis. We had church on Sunday morning and Sunday night. Occasionally, we had a Sunday 3:00 service where we worshiped with other congregations to celebrate church and pastoral anniversaries. We had the midweek service and Friday night service. Occasionally, we came together with other congregations for Joint Meeting services on Saturday night. We were in church at least 3 days a week.
Today’s families are not attending that much church and therefore, this generation is not being exposed to learning about God as previous generations did. Yesterday, I was reading in the book of Judges and noticed how quickly the Israelites kept backsliding and worshiping idol gods. While the appointed judge was alive, they served Almighty God. But as soon as the judge died, they backslid and worshiped worthless idols. Their commitment and dedication to God was shallow so it did not last when the judge left them.
The Israelites were cautioned to teach God’s word to their children, speaking it to them when they were at home, traveling down the road, before they went to bed and as soon as they woke up.
Deuteronomy 11:19 (NKJV) You shall teach them to your children, speaking the word to them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul said to bring the children up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4 (NKJV) And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
We must be diligent to teach children about God so they can develop their own relationship with Him, as they come to know Him personally for themselves. Then when life hits them, they will not back away from God, they will run to Him. Let's prepare this generation to face what the future holds by getting Christ in their hearts, and getting them rooted and grounded in His love.
Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove