How do we get our kids to love God?

God is not interested in just us.  He wants our kids to come into relationship with Him too.

And he tells us how to enhance the possibility that that will happen.  The prescription for them is the same as the prescription He gave us for coming to love Him, and to grow in love for Him.  For all of us, the key is getting His words into us.

So he tells us parents and grandparents to teach His words to our kids.

V’shinan’tam l’vanekha v’dibar’ta bam.  And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them.

Actually the Hebrew word that is translated “teach” here (שָׁנַן‎‏‎–shanan),  means essentially to “engrave.” One translation renders it “engrave.”  Think of encouraging your kids to memorize Bible verses.

Then it says to “speak of” those words to your children.  Here the idea is to talk about those words, and explain them.  Discuss them.  Engage in dialogue about them with your kids.

But when? many ask.  We’re so busy!

The answer comes in the next part of the verse: b’shiv’t’kha b’veitekha uv’lekh’t’kha vaderekh uv’shakh’b’kha uv’kumekha

when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.

In other words, when you’re sitting around at home, when you are walking or driving (think of all the time we spend in cars!), or putting our kids to bed (the perfect time, when they are all ears and  beg us to stay), and over the breakfast table.

This takes planning, of course.  Maybe we bring Bible tapes or CDs (Veggie Tales?) along with us on trips.  But the point is that we parents, not the church, are to be the primary means of passing along the faith to the next generation.  And we do it by talking and talking, in sensitive ways, throughout our days.