THE ROOTS of trees go deep. The stronger tree has the deeper and longer roots reaching far down into the earth for moisture. Sometimes the roots are longer than the tree itself.
David tells us that people are like trees. With this
comparison in mind, we might think of the roots of the tree as being like our
thoughts. If we allow our thoughts to dwell often and long upon the love of
God, if we think deeply about the truth of the Bible, we naturally become stronger
people. Our roots are sunk deeply in truth – the love of God.
If it is natural for us as parents to think of God’s
goodness and love, we will be able to fix our children’s minds upon the things
of God. What opportunities do we have every day for turning the thoughts of our
children heavenward?
Here is a list of things we can do at home that can channel
your children heavenward;
Sing hymns. A mother has just laid her baby in his bed, and
as she says goodnight she sings this hymn, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for
the bible tells me so.” Although the baby is too young to understand the
meaning of the words, yet the songs has soothed him/her into a quiet slumber.
As the baby grows and learns to talk, he hears his mother say, “I love you
Baby”, and he/she tries to say, “I love you, Mother”. Not only does Mother tell
him of her love for him, but she tells him of dear Jesus’ love, too.
A little later he/she learns to sing, “Jesus loves me” with
his/her mother. Then there begins to grow in his heart the first childish
thought of God’s love.
Pray with the children. As soon as your child is old enough
to feel your love, he/she is also old enough to know the love of Jesus in his
heart. As soon as he/she is able to say, “Father”, or “Mother”, he/she is also
able to say “Jesus”. Each night before he/she sleeps, you will kneel with
him/her and help him to pray.
As the year pass, you will give him a better understanding
of the purpose of prayer. Let them know that a very important part of prayer is
asking forgiveness for sin and thanking God for the gift of life. Then you will
also wish to teach them to pray for others.
Prayer time each evening will be a happy time, and your
children’s thoughts will be “rooting” themselves deeper in the love of God.
Nature reveals God. If you are parents who are privileged to
live in the open country, you will find it easier to draw the minds of your
children to God’s “book of nature”. As you walk out to the pasture at sunset
you can stand for a moment with the children and watch silently the sunset with
its glorious colors. They will enjoy naming the colors that they see in the sky.
Tell them of the glorious sight that we shall behold at the time of Jesus’
coming.
Tell them stories. We should read the Bible enough so that
we can tell the children Bible stories. These lessons of faith in God, of His
love and protection, of His kindness, and of His mighty power, will sink into
the hearts of your children, deepening their understanding of the goodness of
God. Thus their roots of true thinking will be growing ever deeper.
Be sure to have a daily “worship time” with the children in
the home. What a fine opportunity we have of bringing our children’s attention
to God’s love and care for us as we sit down to eat a meal! You may say: How
good God is to supply us with the rain and the sunshine, to make our gardens
grow! How thankful we are for this good meal right now! Let us thank Him for
these daily blessings
If we will think back over the few aspects of training our
children that I have considered in my blog, we will readily see that learning
to teach them to appreciate the love of God is by far the most important. It is
most important because it covers and embraces all the others. Understanding the
love of God will heal all the sicknesses of heart that children know. That is
what the Apostle Peter means when he says: “Above all things have fervent love
among yourselves; for love shall cover the multitude of sins”. (1 Peter 4:8)
“Parents who make God first in their households, who teach
their children that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, glorify
God before men by presenting to the world a well-ordered, well-disciplined
family – a family that love and obey God. Christ is not a stranger in their
homes; His name is a household name, worshiped and glorified. Such families
can claim the promise, ‘them that honor me, I will honor’. As from such a home
the father goes forth to his daily duties it is with a spirit softened and
subdued by converse with God… The home then becomes as an Eden of bliss; the
family, a beautiful symbol of the family in heaven”.