Teaching Children

Tim Oakes
Aug 11, 2017
2 min read

Hello Friends,

This week marks the beginning of another school year. I don’t know about you, but it feels way too early to be starting back to school. But it’s my understanding that school officials did so in order to have the first semester end before Christmas break. I can see where that would probably help students.

I am thankful for our schools and the men and women who dedicate their lives to preparing our children for a productive future. They truly deserve our prayers and encouragement.

But one thing we should never forget is that while our schools can help us in our task, God has given us as parents the responsibility to educate our children. We are told to train up our children in the way they should go. We are to help them grow in wisdom and knowledge. We are to instill in them values and morals. It’s first and foremost our job as parents to see to these things.

It’s not enough to send them off to school and think, “They’ll teach them all they need to know.” For one thing, schools are not allowed to instruct children in spiritual matters. But if we fail to do so ourselves, it could leave the child thinking that spiritual things don’t matter or don’t even exist.

I would also give this same encouragement to parents concerning sending our kids to Sunday school. I would hope it would be obvious that I would love to see all of our children at Sunday school each week, which by itself is not enough. Our kids need to hear about our faith from our own mouths. And they need to see it lived out in our daily lives.

For whether we realize it or not, we’re always teaching our children, either intentionally or unintentionally. But either way they are learning from us. It’s our responsibility to be intentional with our teaching. We especially must ensure they have explained and demonstrated to them the values we hold dear and want to see in them.

We have our children for such a short time. The opportunity to truly educate them in the things that really matter is limited. Let us make the most of every opportunity.