I want my kids to understand the Word.
Once again, that sounds silly. John 3:16 is doable, but Ezekiel? I don’t see them reveling in the mold laws of Leviticus. They probably won’t understand 1 Peter 3:19-20 (even Presbyterian ministers will say, “Good Luck” with that one). It is doubtful they will be sharing the nuances of Greek and Hebrew with their classmates. My kids range in age from eleven to six. Is it realistic to think they will lift the meaning out of difficult passages when theologians have debated them for several millennia? Of course not. But that’s not what understanding the Word is about at their age. I’ll teach them more later in life, but for now I want my kids to understand two things about the Word: what it is and why we need it.
What it is
The Word is God’s primary way of talking to us. Communication is a two way street. How deep of a relationship will be built when only one person does the talking? We cannot get to know God unless we hear from Him. Prayer is us talking to God. The Word is God talking to us. God wants us to talk to Him through prayer. God wants to talk to us through His Word.
Why we need it
Most importantly, we learn about God by listening to Him talk about Himself. A proper view of Him MUST be gained from His self-description. It is given to us through His Word. We cannot let the experiences of our day frame an understanding of God. We must let an understanding of God frame the experiences of our day.
For years I have been challenged by Bob Carter’s wisdom on marriage. He says, “One of the most important things we do in marriage is to seek to understand our spouse. Don’t try to change them, seek to understand them.” Understanding my spouse happens best when I listen. It makes sense to apply this to God as well. Listen to Him. This will lead to a better understanding of who He is.
We learn about ourselves through His Word. We learn that we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27); born as sinners (Psalm 51:5); fruitless without Jesus (John 15:5); beloved children of God (1 John 3:1-2); and many other things that the Creator reveals about the most prized of His creation.
We learn about God‘s plan to redeem us, change us, keep us, and ultimately perfect us through His Word. We never would have discovered this plan apart from Him telling us. No wonder Paul quoted Isiah saying, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:15)
We learn how to live through His word. “He has shown thee o man what is good and what the Lord requires of thee.” (Micah 6:8) His law shows His desire for His people’s way of life. It shows how to love others. It shows how to live with accountability, discipline, grace, and mercy. It shows how to work and play.
Learn to Listen
Learning to sit and listen is an acquired skill. Children love when mom and dad read to them, so read a portion of the scriptures to them regularly. Consider reading The Jesus Storybook Bible from Sally Lloyd-Jones to them. Listen to the Seeds Family Worship CD’s or Adventures in Odyssey CD’s while driving the car. These (and other resources) have proven to hold kid’s attention and lead to a better understanding of The Word.