5 Ways Not to Hide God from Your Children
Ray Rhodes, Jr.
“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and His might, and the wonders that He has done” (Psalm 78:4 ESV).
What a tragedy it would be to have the remedy for a dreaded disease and to hide it from those who need it so much. We normally think it a necessity to pass along good and helpful news. However, many parents may be hiding the best news of all from their children.
You might be thinking that there is no way you would hide such good news from your children. Yet many parents are in fact hiding God. You might hide God from your children by failing to lead your family to eat meals to God’s glory (I Corinthians 10:31), by failing to point out the glory of God on a starry night, by failing to expose your children to regular family Bible reading and even forsaking church attendance. Robert L. Dabney wrote “The education of children for God is the most important business done on earth. It is the one business for which the earth exists. To it all politics, all war, all literature, all money making ought to be subordinated; every parent especially ought to feel, every hour of the day, that next to making his own calling and election sure, this is the end for which he is kept alive by God—this is his task on earth.” Consider five ways to make God known to your children.
Take your child on a night walk and gaze into the sky. Psalm 19: 1-3 states: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (ESV). Most children enjoy night walks. You might take a mountain hike or walk by a lake or just stroll around your back yard. God is pouring forth knowledge about Himself day and night in the sky above. Take an opportunity to point out the brilliance of God by looking into His universe.
Show your children the goodness of God in rain, fruitful seasons, food and by a merry heart (Acts 14:17). These are all ways that God is witnessing of His character. Rain can be an effective object lesson. Several years ago we experienced a drought here in Georgia. I sought to point out to my children that a drought is a reminder of our dependence on God. We would pray for rain. When it rained we would give thanks. Acts 14 mentions fruitful seasons. Help your children plant a garden. Watch the plants grow, pray for their growth, and then harvest your crops and give thanks to God for fruitful seasons. Last year we had a small garden and our children were especially excited about the corn crop that the Lord gave us. They planted, watched, pulled and—yes—ate the corn. If you are unable to have your own garden, consider a trip to a farm. Some farms allow you to harvest vegetables and through that you can teach your children of the provision of God. Acts 14 mentions fruitful seasons and food. Of course those two go together. Meal times give families special opportunity to thank God for daily bread and for all of His provision. Food is to be enjoyed and received as a good gift from God. When you cook, decorate the table—be creative. Serve the food with a worshipful heart to God. By all means seek to sit down with your family each day for at least one meal. Table time is a wonderful family building opportunity and a great time for family worship. Let your heart be glad in the Lord and you will have a contagious heart that will have an impact on your children.
Talk of God all the time (Deuteronomy 6). Parents are never off duty—nor should they desire to be. Parenting gives opportunity to lead children to consider the character and works of God. To quote a Puritan preacher, God is-- “altogether lovely.” And because he is so lovely, let us lead our children to understand that our highest calling is to love Him. This command like all of God’s commands leads us to a sense of our inability and neediness and drives us to Christ to whom we cling in faith. Talking of God all of the time does not mean that you only speak Bible verses. It does mean that you view all of life through the lens of His glory and bring His wisdom to bear on all things. To talk of God all of the time is to live with awareness that God is present. Look for ways to cultivate in the heart of your child such a God-awareness.
Read the Bible and pray with your children. The most important goal of parenting is that one’s children would know and love God. There is only one way that they can know God savingly and that is through His word (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:15). If you are a Christian parent then your desire for your child is that they would be saved (Romans 10:1). You are willing to endure anything so that they might know God (Romans 9:1-3; 2 Timothy 2:10). Plan regular times of family worship. These times can be as simple as reading from the Bible, praying and singing hymns with your child. Teach them who God is and what He has done. Family worship times are strengthened if your children are well aware that you are personally faithful to read the Bible and pray (Deuteronomy 6:6).
Take your children to church regularly. This goes well beyond Sunday and Wednesday services. The church is a community of love and fellowship with God and His people. Many children of parents who profess Christ know so little about church life. Some parents only attend church when it is convenient. Others never commit themselves to a local congregation. They are church wanderers always looking for the perfect church. Find a church where the Bible is taught and the people love one another and plant your roots there. Don’t wander around from church to church. If there is not a biblically minded church in your area then be willing to drive any distance or better yet move to a community where there is a solid church where you can be engaged. I cannot over emphasize how important a local church home is to the spiritual well being of you and your family.
Don’t hide God from your children. If you are distracted then ask God to help you to focus on Him. If you are too busy then pray for wisdom to prioritize your life. If you are lazy—repent. So much is at stake. You are responsible to lead your little ones to God. How will you do that if you are always hiding God from them? On the one hand God cannot be hidden or contained because His knowledge pours forth day and night through His creation (Psalm 19). However, He has chosen you to be the primary instrument through which your children learn about Him. Don’t hide the greatest news of all from those most precious to your heart.
Ray Rhodes, Jr. is President of Nourished in the Word Ministries and Pastor of Grace Community Church of North Georgia. You may contact him at ray@nourishedintheword.org or 678.697.4495
Ray Rhodes, Jr.
“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and His might, and the wonders that He has done” (Psalm 78:4 ESV).
What a tragedy it would be to have the remedy for a dreaded disease and to hide it from those who need it so much. We normally think it a necessity to pass along good and helpful news. However, many parents may be hiding the best news of all from their children.
You might be thinking that there is no way you would hide such good news from your children. Yet many parents are in fact hiding God. You might hide God from your children by failing to lead your family to eat meals to God’s glory (I Corinthians 10:31), by failing to point out the glory of God on a starry night, by failing to expose your children to regular family Bible reading and even forsaking church attendance. Robert L. Dabney wrote “The education of children for God is the most important business done on earth. It is the one business for which the earth exists. To it all politics, all war, all literature, all money making ought to be subordinated; every parent especially ought to feel, every hour of the day, that next to making his own calling and election sure, this is the end for which he is kept alive by God—this is his task on earth.” Consider five ways to make God known to your children.
Take your child on a night walk and gaze into the sky. Psalm 19: 1-3 states: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (ESV). Most children enjoy night walks. You might take a mountain hike or walk by a lake or just stroll around your back yard. God is pouring forth knowledge about Himself day and night in the sky above. Take an opportunity to point out the brilliance of God by looking into His universe.
Show your children the goodness of God in rain, fruitful seasons, food and by a merry heart (Acts 14:17). These are all ways that God is witnessing of His character. Rain can be an effective object lesson. Several years ago we experienced a drought here in Georgia. I sought to point out to my children that a drought is a reminder of our dependence on God. We would pray for rain. When it rained we would give thanks. Acts 14 mentions fruitful seasons. Help your children plant a garden. Watch the plants grow, pray for their growth, and then harvest your crops and give thanks to God for fruitful seasons. Last year we had a small garden and our children were especially excited about the corn crop that the Lord gave us. They planted, watched, pulled and—yes—ate the corn. If you are unable to have your own garden, consider a trip to a farm. Some farms allow you to harvest vegetables and through that you can teach your children of the provision of God. Acts 14 mentions fruitful seasons and food. Of course those two go together. Meal times give families special opportunity to thank God for daily bread and for all of His provision. Food is to be enjoyed and received as a good gift from God. When you cook, decorate the table—be creative. Serve the food with a worshipful heart to God. By all means seek to sit down with your family each day for at least one meal. Table time is a wonderful family building opportunity and a great time for family worship. Let your heart be glad in the Lord and you will have a contagious heart that will have an impact on your children.
Talk of God all the time (Deuteronomy 6). Parents are never off duty—nor should they desire to be. Parenting gives opportunity to lead children to consider the character and works of God. To quote a Puritan preacher, God is-- “altogether lovely.” And because he is so lovely, let us lead our children to understand that our highest calling is to love Him. This command like all of God’s commands leads us to a sense of our inability and neediness and drives us to Christ to whom we cling in faith. Talking of God all of the time does not mean that you only speak Bible verses. It does mean that you view all of life through the lens of His glory and bring His wisdom to bear on all things. To talk of God all of the time is to live with awareness that God is present. Look for ways to cultivate in the heart of your child such a God-awareness.
Read the Bible and pray with your children. The most important goal of parenting is that one’s children would know and love God. There is only one way that they can know God savingly and that is through His word (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:15). If you are a Christian parent then your desire for your child is that they would be saved (Romans 10:1). You are willing to endure anything so that they might know God (Romans 9:1-3; 2 Timothy 2:10). Plan regular times of family worship. These times can be as simple as reading from the Bible, praying and singing hymns with your child. Teach them who God is and what He has done. Family worship times are strengthened if your children are well aware that you are personally faithful to read the Bible and pray (Deuteronomy 6:6).
Take your children to church regularly. This goes well beyond Sunday and Wednesday services. The church is a community of love and fellowship with God and His people. Many children of parents who profess Christ know so little about church life. Some parents only attend church when it is convenient. Others never commit themselves to a local congregation. They are church wanderers always looking for the perfect church. Find a church where the Bible is taught and the people love one another and plant your roots there. Don’t wander around from church to church. If there is not a biblically minded church in your area then be willing to drive any distance or better yet move to a community where there is a solid church where you can be engaged. I cannot over emphasize how important a local church home is to the spiritual well being of you and your family.
Don’t hide God from your children. If you are distracted then ask God to help you to focus on Him. If you are too busy then pray for wisdom to prioritize your life. If you are lazy—repent. So much is at stake. You are responsible to lead your little ones to God. How will you do that if you are always hiding God from them? On the one hand God cannot be hidden or contained because His knowledge pours forth day and night through His creation (Psalm 19). However, He has chosen you to be the primary instrument through which your children learn about Him. Don’t hide the greatest news of all from those most precious to your heart.
Ray Rhodes, Jr. is President of Nourished in the Word Ministries and Pastor of Grace Community Church of North Georgia. You may contact him at ray@nourishedintheword.org or 678.697.4495
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