Witness

Witness

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again.

Deuteronomy 6:4-7

One of my three sons was baptized last night. As I listened to the testimonies of the seven junior and senior high school students who were baptized, I was struck by how many times they said their mothers were the ones who introduced them to Jesus. The majority of those related that it happened at bedtime, when the moms were tucking the children in for the night.

It’s no surprise that our children often open up about things that are on their hearts and minds during those closing moments of the day. They don’t feel the rush of getting to the next activity, and as we sit on the bed next to them, they are often interested in extending the moments of closeness.

To be effective witnesses for God in the lives of our children, we must do several things. First, we must listen to God through his Word and through prayer. Second, we must choose to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. Third, we must open our hearts to God, exchanging our sinful ways for his righteous ways. Fourth, we must make a conscious effort to impress God’s Word on our children’s hearts, realizing this can happen in many different settings and postures.

As we listen to God, open our hearts to him, and share his Word with our children, we eagerly await evidences of faith and growth in their hearts.

Father,

Thank you for the great privilege of pointing and leading our children to you. May we not cause our children to stumble by failing to walk closely with you ourselves. Amen.