Instilling a Love of the Bible in Your Children

You’re pulled in a thousand different directions. You have so many things that you’re trying to juggle, and you may often feel like you’re barely holding your head above water. Or maybe that’s just me.
 
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Let’s bring it back to center for a second.  When the guilt and the to-do lists want to overwhelm us, we must bring it back to center.  Let me reaffirm in you that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING more important in the world right now than teaching and instilling the Word of God in our children! No matter what earthly sacrifices that may require. There is absolutely NOTHING more important! Laundry can wait. Dinner can be cereal. If necessary, take a pay cut. That sounds extreme, but if chasing after a bigger house or more vacations, home renovations etc. is our goal and that goal has deterred or will deter us from our most important God given task, we must step back and reevaluate.  Whatever it is that wants to dictate your time. If it gets in the way of this – it must change, or it can go.
 
The enemy targets us heavy with distractions & insecurities making us feel like we are failing our children because they don’t have enough “this” or I need to give them more opportunities for “that” (you fill in those blanks.) Or wanting them to have “this” or experience “that.” But friend, if we are not growing personally in our relationship with the Lord, (and it requires determination and creativity in some seasons.  Let me testify to that.) And if teaching them about Jesus & the Word of God is not our #1 Priority - we are failing them - Period! 
 
You know the saying: “the squeaky wheel is the one that gets all of the attention?” When we’re focused on the loud squeaky wheel, we can overlook more important, pressing issues that go unnoticed until it’s too late?
 
This is hard and challenging. Believe me - I know. It’s a heavy calling, and I am far from a pro. But friend, if my son grows up and doesn’t become a professional baseball player he will be fine, but if he doesn’t know Jesus and the Word of God it will cause him so much unnecessary heartache.
 
This can feel intimidating or overwhelming. Don’t let it.
 
Here’s some of the things that we have used in my house.
 
Personal Bible Study and Development

• Listen to sermons, podcasts, audiobooks as you drive or do laundry etc.
• Pray as you go...As I drive, clean, shop. I pray specifically over my husband and children when I am trying to fall asleep. As you're folding laundry, pray over the person whose laundry you're folding. Teach your children how to pray.
• Bible Study. Choose a book in the Bible.  Each chapter is broken down in sections if you need to, just read one section per day/week and slowly work your way through the book.  In fact, you get WAY more out of it if you go slowly and consider the who, what, where, when and why, rather than speed read entire chapters or books at a time.
• There are memory verse sticky pads (Or you can use index cards and personally write it yourself.) Take a verse, write it and stick it in all sorts of commonly used places around your house and car.

Possible Resources for the children:

• What’s in the Bible DVD’s. They’re a GREAT way to understand the timeline, context and background of the Bible. They are great for kids but also really good for adults. It taught me many things I never knew.  Plus, it’s hilarious. We made it a part of our night-time routine with the kids. They could watch one each night before they went to bed. They loved that they were able to be awake an extra 30 mins and I loved hearing them laugh together. 
• Abeka Homeschool Bible Curriculum DVD’s: The Bible curriculum can now be bought independently. We do the Abeka homeschool curriculum but even if my kids ever go back to another school we will probably still order the Bible curriculum each year.  It’s so good. 
• Watch TV and movies with them. Teach your children how to see things through a Christian worldview. Not in a way that is obnoxious or that sucks the joy out of it.  However, it is good to see things and talk about consequences. Why something was a bad idea. Helping them to see the bigger picture that isn’t just focused on the main characters feelings. How someone’s actions negatively or positively affected someone else. Why does God say that something is wrong or sinful? Do you see how sin ultimately hurt this character or someone else? It’s always easier to learn from someone else’s mistakes. 

 
The most important thing we can do as parents is to instill in our children a love of Jesus and His Word. Giving them a firm foundation on which to grow will reap a lifetime of benefits for them.
 
Melissa Bradley is married with four children. Follow her on Facebook and on her website. Thanks to Melissa for guest writing for Homeschooling One Child.