Moses cried out to Israel to impress the things of God upon their hearts. Moses knew the words of God would bring Israel close to God. He reminded them that these words of God that he had spoken to them were their very life (Deuteronomy 32:47). Moses knew that if God’s words were spoken and taught every day to God’s people, life would flow abundantly. Moses knew that if Israel would love God enough to talk to their children about Him wherever they were, the nation would remain faithful to God.
Solomon’s words capture the impact of parents who take every opportunity to talk about God and His ways. The parent who faithfully follows Deuteronomy 6:7 can quote Proverbs 1:8–9 with confidence to his children. These words in Proverbs 1 are humbling words. Yet they also give great hope:
Listen, my child, to what your father teaches you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s teaching.
What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and clothe you with honor. (Proverbs 1:8-9)
No parent has all it takes to be worthy of the promise in these verses. However, when parents speak faithfully of God’s ways and His holiness every day, the Holy Spirit uses the opportunity to apply the truth of Scripture to the young ears that hear it. Parents, God has given you a mission to make Him known in every corner of life. To pursue this mission takes great courage. As you walk along life’s road with your children, you must literally deny yourself in order to speak first about God and how He views this world. When your child hears and learns about God this way he will indeed be clothed with honor and crowned with grace.
The challenge is great. The power of God is even greater. His power can make your everyday talk what He wants it to be—talk that reflects where your heart is, where your treasure is. Loving God means many things, but perhaps most profoundly it means loving Him so much that you speak of Him when you walk along the road, when you sit at home, when you lie down and when you get up.
From the conclusion of Everyday Talk
One thought on “A Mission Statement for Parents”
Love this!