Teaching children

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March 3

Monday, March 3rd, 2025

Who’s teaching whom?

Good question. I’m convinced that leadership is a lifetime of learning. So is being a parent. So is being a pastor.  Life lessons are all over the map. It could happen in a conversation with a child. It could happen in an interaction on a ball field. It could happen when reading a book. You get the point.  Truthfully learning starts when we are children.

I was struck by this as I read Deuteronomy 11 this morning during my morning devotions. I was reading Deuteronomy 11-13 as part of my Everyday Gospel devotions when I ran across the following: “You must love the Lord your God and always obey his requirements, decrees, regulations, and commands. Keep in mind that I am not talking to your children, who have never experienced the discipline of the Lord your God or seen his greatness and his strong hand and powerful arm. They didn’t see (v.3)…They didn’t see (v.4)…Your children didn’t see (v.5)…They didn’t see (v.6)…But you have seen the Lord perform all these mighty deeds with your own eyes!” It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the point I am trying to get across. As Moses is talking to those he is leading, he reminds them the responsibility they have of teaching their children, because why?…the children did experience what their parents had. How were they to know what happened or how to act unless the parents teach them?  It was to start with the Shema (6:4)-“The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” He then challenges them with telling their children at any time and to make it prominent in their lives. That is virtually repeated in 11:18-20.

If you haven’t already started teaching the little people in your life, it is time to start. Sons. Daughters. Nieces. Nephews. Grandchildren. Neighbor kids. Church kids. (Be careful of the setting with these last two). Teaching and learning go hand in hand. As I learn I teach; as I teach I learn. Remember: the lessons you and I learn in life are to be passed on to those we love and care about.

But it starts when we are young…AND NEVER STOPS!!

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September 9

Monday, September 9th, 2024

Q: Who will teach our children?

A: The public school. Aaaah yeah.

A: The local church. That’s a little bit better answer but it still falls short.

A: The home/parents. At one point in the past we might have said, “Yes!” But recent events and previous events/years show us that is not always the best source.

A: The church and the home together. This is probably the best answer. Not the exclusive one like it used to be. When both church and home are off the rails, that makes for a crazy train ride.

I ask that question because of something I read this morning. It struck home. Psalm 78:4-6 says this: “We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. For he issued his laws to Jacob; He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them-even the children not yet born-and they in turn will teach their own children.” (NLT)

The admonition there is that parents have been taught to teach so they can teach by passing down the lessons learned. This psalm is pretty clear that the bulk of the teaching is to be done at home, not at the public school (heaven forbid) or even the church (some of that is whacked).

But there is more! Verses 7-8 tell us why we are to teach our children! “So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors-stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.” (NLT)

Methinks that somewhere along the line we missed the target. Just sayin’.

{Note: I’m not saying all public schools are off base. There are some-like my local school district-who, at this point, try hard to teach values I would consider worth learning. That’s the value of a small town school.}

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