Godly Examples
Pastor Josh Slatten
About two weeks ago, I told my son Jake that I had ordered a Bible study for us to do together. His eyes lit up like Christmas tree lights. He was so excited that he gets the opportunity to study God’s word with his Father and I am thrilled to learn with him.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.”
If the Israelites were going to have success in the promise land, the family unit would have to become the primary place where faith and love for the Lord was represented and passed on. As parents we are to teach God’s ways regularly to our children. A godly lifestyle that integrates God’s word in the home is a powerful witness that cannot be over emphasized. Notice how often Israel was to discuss the ways of God to their children. “When you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Parents are responsible for making sure that the biblical truth we are learning is transferred to our children. If we don’t teach our family the things of God, there is always somebody else that will teach them something contrary to His word. Satan, the ruler of darkness, has his teachers that will teach them a false message. These teachers are in our school system, the media, colleges and universities, and sadly they are in our churches. The Bible stresses the importance of teaching them diligently not occasionally. Parents have been charged with this responsibility. It’s not the churches job or the government’s job. Home should be the University of Life when it comes to making God our first priority. I like what Joshua said, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.
Even if you don’t have children, look for children around you like nieces and nephews that you can mentor about God’s word. As Christians we are to leave behind a Kingdom Legacy. We are to teach the truth and treasure the truth. If you want to know what truth is, look at Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me.” We are to preserve the culture and champion the cause of Christ in our generation. God never said that standing up for him would be easy, but He did say it would be worth it.