Making and Taking Time to Teach Children

Only God knows what the future holds. He’s given us glimpses of it in His Word, but ultimately only He knows. It’s no guarantee, but we expect our children to live longer than us; for them to continue long past when we are gone. We say, “Children are our future,” but in some ways I feel like we are leaving them to figure it out for themselves. In some ways, we feel like we don’t have much to give, because there is such an abundance of information available and they are far better at accessing it than we are. On top of that, things are moving very fast and so much is vying for their attention, it could feel like an intrusion. There are a lot of reasons we could give, but I feel like we’re gypping them.

I know people who have worked well into their 70’s and 80’s. I asked one of them whether they were looking to retire any time soon and the concern was that she would have nothing to do. Though she had a large family, she would have nothing to do. I thought about that and it bothered me. I thought about all she’d probably seen and experienced in her lifetime. And might she be able to share some of that with her grandkids and great grandkids. Might she be able to teach them history, and some of major life lessons, to tell them things they may not be hearing from anyone else; to leave something behind or pay something forward.

The bible speaks explicitly concerning children, at times. Like when it says, Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6 KJV). Or like one my favorite passages, “And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: And you shalt teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when thou walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (Deuteronomy 6:6,7). Other times, the bible doesn’t specifically mention children, but He speaks to the community of believers as whole- all of us alike (adults and children). Like when it teaches us to love the Lord our God, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be obedient to those who have rule over us; and to be fervent in business.

We have opportunity (and a responsibility) to talk to our children about important things. It’s important we create opportunities to do that; that we seize opportunities to do that. I’m not a child psychologist. I’m not even a parent. All, I know is, we only get this one life to make a difference. All the things we’ve struggled through in life and the lessons we’ve learned. I believe 

gave them them to us for a reason. It can’t be for us to carry them to our grave. Maybe our young people can learn early to see things with a better perspective and to do things better, as individuals and in community.

  • To know that God is real.
  • To believe that even as a child, they can have a relationship with Jesus.
  • To trust that’s God’s Word is true: always!
  • To understand we get back what we put out; reap what we sow. (It’s not Karma, it’s God).
  • It’s right and good to love and forgive.
  • Guard their hearts.
  • Honor their parents and those in authority.
  • Laziness is a sin and will lead to poverty.
  • To live on a budget.
  • To save for a rainy day.
  • To be diligent in business
  • And so much more

I’m only recently learning that it doesn’t have to be a lecture and it doesn’t have to always be direct quotes from the bible. We can just talk to people like people. We can talk to children, like people- because they are. We have a chance to influence them in positive ways. All of them won’t listen, but some will.

This weekend, I spent time talking to my nephew about savings and investments.  Money is not the most important thing in life but is important in this life. It matters that he handles it responsibly and that he has the benefit of knowing and (hopefully) applying basic principals that I didn’t learn until I was approaching 50 years old. We talk a lot and about lots of stuff. This is just one thing. I hope I’m not giving him too much. My prayer is that when he is old, the good things, the most important things; God will keep with him just like Proverbs 22: 6 says.

Conclusion

There are a special group of grown-ups who are good at this. Some are parents or grandparents; some are teachers or coaches; some are Pastors or Ministers; some are aunties, uncles, neighbors, and/or friends of the family; but they share a similar heart and gift of talking to children about important things. For you all, you’re already doing this. But for those of us who aren’t, lets start where we are. Let’s genuinely care and genuinely share. There are things I look back on, that no one ever talked to me about. I think either they dismissed the importance of it, figured I would learn like they did, or it was taboo to talk about. I pray that God will use me to teach as much as I can, while I can. And to be an influence for positive change in the lives of not just adults, but children. How is Christ leading you?