Praise the Lord for blessing BBPC with many young parents and growing numbers of children in the Sunday school. However, parenting has become more and more challenging these days. We have become busier; the percentage of both parents working are increasing. Surveys indicated that 75% of parents feel they are not spending quality time with their children. Divorces and Annulments of marriages are increasing in Singapore. Only a small percentage of Christian family spend reading the Bible, praying and worshiping together. And these days, there is a powerful force attacking the traditional understanding of family. Looking at all these situations, we can ask ourselves what does the word of God say to us and what can we do to overcome the problems that the families are facing?
As the Israelites were about to enter the Promise Land after spending 40 years in the wilderness, God spoke to the Israelites through Moses with these words.
Deuteronomy 6:5-7
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
In this passage God commanded the people of Israel to do three things, to love God, to put God’s word in their hearts and to diligently teach the word of God to their children.
Firstly, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. “(verse 5) How do we love God? For many ‘love’ would mean having warm fussy feelings for someone. Many get married for this kind of love, however when the warm fussy feelings vanished in their marriages they seek for divorce, saying that they are not in love anymore. If we look at the scripture, love is not mere feelings but action. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” If we love God, we will be committed in obeying His word in good times or bad times. Christian couples who keep the word of God at the centre of their relationship grows closer to one another. Their love for one another increases as they let the word of God guide them.
Secondly, God commanded that His words were to be on the hearts of the people as they enter the promise land. We use this phrase “I know it by heart” which means to know something completely or memorised. God wants us to know His word well that we may abide by it. King David who is called “a man after God’s own heart”, say in Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your words in my heart that I might not sin against you.” In this day and age, we are deluged by countless information on the social media, and unless we have the word of God in our hearts we can be easily persuaded by false teachings. God’s word is our defence against all evil which constantly wage war against our us.
Thirdly, God commands the parents to teach their children with the word of God. “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” The primary responsibility of the teaching the word of God to children are the parents. Parents are to take every opportunity to teach their children from sunrise to sunset. Sadly, many parents do not teach God’s word to their Children, they have—as if were—outsourced this responsibility to the Sunday School teachers. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” The primary responsibility of the teaching the word of God to children are the parents. Parents are to take every opportunity to teach their children from sunrise to sunset. Sadly, many parents do not teach God’s word to their Children, they have—as if were—outsourced this responsibility to the Sunday School teachers.
As families face many challenges in discipling their children, we pray that the parents at BBPC will be equipped, strengthen, and empowered to live out the principles found in Deuteronomy 6:5-7 and that God will bless BBPC with strong and godly families.
~ Ps. Razo