Becoming a Psalms 78:6 Parent!

Psalm 78:6 The Message (MSG)

6 Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come—Know the truth and tell the stories so their children can trust in God, Never forget the works of God  but keep his commands to the letter.

Every Christian parent  hopes they are are raising children who will chose to serve God, and also teach their children to do so. However, achieving this goal takes far more than hope. It takes a steady and determined thought and behavioral pattern. There are four steps as outlined in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NASB).

6 (I)These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 (J)You shall teach them diligently to your sons 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 up. 8 (K)You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.9 (L)You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Be on your Heart

One of the important things about our faith is that we live what we say we believe. This is called acting justly. When we act justly our beliefs are just there. However, our relationship with the Lord is not simply what we do. It is about our daily interaction with Him. One mistake we make is to say that the Holy Scriptures is the word of God. The scripture only points to the Word of God. John 1:1 tells us that the word became flesh and dwelt among us Jesus (Yeshua) is the word of God. It is our relationship with Him that is  spoken of loudly in what say and do, in addition to the decisions we make. Most believers in the Messiah have no issue with this however we fail to follow the other mandates. Which leave our children in the dark. 

Teach them Diligently to your Children

Teaching is done in two ways first it is taught by observation. Children observe their parents; if our lives are speaking loudly of our relationship with the Word of God. Children are able to see and  copy what they observe. They do what we do. Children become better at being who we are than we do. The second way children learn is through discussion and parents asking open ended questions. Children need to think about their own values and their own relationship with the Word. So the question is are you diligently living out your relationship with G-d and are you constantly discussing and asking your children about what they think or believe. Do you ask you children what they think the scriptures mean?

Talk about the Statues

We are instructed to never cease talking about what G-d has to say, what, He means, and how we can live it out. Talking about how to live this life on a daily basis is an important part of what we are instructed by Deuteronomy to do on a daily basis. In modern vernacular when you get up, at the breakfast table, in the car, at work, at home, at our House of Worship, in the grocery store, etc. Please remember talking often takes place louder in how we act and react to a situation often speaks louder than what we say. Are you acting justly, loving  mercy, and walking humbly with G-d? Are you talking about what that means? How often do you talk about what is happening in your spiritual life? Do you talk to your spouse in front of your children? Do you invite your children to discuss what is happening in both your life and theirs? Do you study the scriptures as a family? How often do you discuss what the sermon was about at the service? Do you use that to lead family discussions on the issue? The goal is to talk about , pray and read together, and ask questions?

Signs and Reminders

This scripture tells us to bind things on our foreheads, tie reminders on our hands, and to put them on our doors and gates. In today’s world there are a variety of ways to do this. We have posters, paintings, t-shirts, plaques, throws, and a variety of other reminders we can place around our homes, offices, and automobiles. We all can have a variety reminders have you spoken to your children about why. My father was proud to be a Leo once he became saved and realized the error he was making and stopped collecting lions. Later, he realized Jesus was the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He renewed his love of lions and our house became full of reminders which referred to Messiah as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. I still have many of those reminders. They are reminders to me and will be reminders to my children they have a heritage of faith.

Ultimately, living the life of a Psalms 78:6 parent is about teaching your children how important it is not to just live a life pleasing to God. But, to pass it on to the next generation. Teaching our children to live out their faith in front of their children, and so on.