10 Things I Want My Children to Remember Forever

If there were only a handful of things you could teach your children, what would they be? In last week’s blog, I mentioned that we often err in our approach to problem solving because we believe in the basic goodness of man. Yet, the Bible teaches us that we have all sinned and are in need of help. This is why there is so much teaching in the Bible on how we should raise our children.  
The Bible says, “…foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child.” (Proverbs 22:15). It teaches us “…to train up a child in the way he should go…”(Proverbs 22:6). What do you teach them? You can teach your child many things, but there are only a handful you can emphasize and plant firmly in their hearts.  When we were young parents, my wife and I centered in on these ten things:

1.  Love God supremely (Deuteronomy 6:4, 5). Who we love greatly determines our goals, interests, passion, and priorities in life.

2.  Place God first consistently (Exodus 20:3). Every gift of God is a potential idol. It’s easy to worship the gift more than the One who gives it. Idols can vary from money, fame, popularity, family, or career. Idols will always let you down.

3.  Believe the Bible completely (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7). The early Jewish nation was instructed to teach the Bible to their children. Why? Because the Bible is God’s Word. It gives us instruction, wisdom, and leads us to know God. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”

4.  Trust God tenaciously (Proverbs 3:5-6). My kids needed to realize that they were always better off trusting God than going their own way. Sometimes what we see, hear, or experience seems to contradict our faith. Our children need to understand we do not know the whole truth on any matter. Only God knows the whole truth. We must trust Him to receive the blessings He has for us (Hebrews 10:36).

5.  Stand alone courageously. Research shows that nine out of ten children do not possess the natural courage to stand against the crowd. People often form their beliefs based on the beliefs of the group they most want to be a part of. Therefore, if we do not teach our children to stand alone, it does not matter what else we teach them.

6 – 10 coming in next week’s blog…
What do you think?