A spiritual discipline in our home, in an effort to be a Deuteronomy 6 home, is to memorize Scripture together. These passages have been the foundation of many beautiful conversations. We’ve been memorizing together weekly since my firstborn was about 3. I read to him from the same book every night (after a story of his choosing) called Jesus Loves Me, and on the last page was some paraphrase version of a verse from Psalm 68: Praise be to the LORD, to God our Saviour , who daily bears our burdens.” And one day, my son recited this verse to me before I could read it. I was astonished! I had not thought that at three years old we would begin anything other than “bible stories.”
Children grow quickly, and understand more than we imagine they can. And their minds are hungry. Let the children come to Him, as disciples! If you know me, then you know I am a free spirit who does not like to be told what to do–yet I have come to love knowing what pleases the Lord, and leaning on Him for the grace to obey. I shun any attempt at this that seems ‘legalistic’ or ‘Pharisaical.’ So as I share what we have learned and implemented, these are suggestions, not laws.
No curriculum necessary.
In fact, curriculum sometimes hinders true spirituality more than laziness. We read Scripture every morning, Old Testament one day, New Testament the next, and so on; Psalms every Sunday. We review the Shorter Catechism, and discuss periodically.
On birthdays, I’ve made it a habit to read Psalm 139–and the evening before his birthday, my firstborn reminded me that tomorrow we would be reading the birthday Psalm. Oh, what joy to know that cultivating rhythms as a family has been as delightful to them as for me!
Each morning we read, and some mornings we discuss, some mornings we explain. We will never ask “what does this mean to you” or other humanist questions (more on that in this book).
Proverbs 3
On Saturdays, we recite many of the passages we have learned over the years–so we do not memorize and forget. This week as we reviewed Proverbs 3, the Spirit worked in my heart, though we had been reciting this one for years. His Word is alive and active, He wields it as a sword, the sword of the Spirit!
“My son, do not forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Do not let steadfast love [hesed] and truth leave you, but bind them around your neck, and write them on the tablet of your heart… ”
proverbs 3
Are you teaching? You are your child’s teacher. Are you passing on the doctrines conforming to godliness? Are you teaching your children to abide in His words? And how to read and study? How to boast that they know He is the God who practices steadfast love and justice and righteousness in the earth (Jeremiah 9:23-24)?
Do they have your teaching to cling to, the ways you have seen the LORD work in your life, the ways you have experienced His faithfulness? Have you told them about your favorite passages? Have they seen you cultivate faithfulness?
Are you giving commands that will bless their hearts, adding to their experience of life and shalom? Are you ushering them into ways of walking with Jesus that are pleasing to Him? Are you teaching them to seek Him with all their heart, soul, and might? Are you encouraging them to pray without ceasing, to express gratitude in all things (not for all things, you know that, right?), to lean on Him for understanding?
Do you teach about His hesed and truth? Have you taught them to muse upon His hesed? To trust that His truth will set them free? To believe in Truth, and in the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life?
Do you model for them a life of faith and repentance? Do they see that you too need His grace and mercy every day, every moment? Do they see you experience the ups and downs? Do they hear you sing? Have you modeled how to “pour out your heart” to Him (Psalm 68)?
Would Paul say to your children, about you, “you know from whom you have learned the Scriptures, the sacred writings; continue in what you have learned…” (see 2 Timothy 1:5 and 3:13-17).
As the new school year nears, examine your home, the ethos of your home. What a great season to cultivate new rhythms of grace, to begin new habits and to refresh old ones. What are some ways you can be speaking so that some day you could say “my son, do not forget my teaching, let your heart keep my commandments…”
Oh that our hearts, and the hearts of our children, would cling to Christ, and boast in His cross, and persevere in hope!
Up soon…Theology of Work, and Theology of the Body.