You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

(Deuteronomy 6:7 NIV)

During a youth baseball game, a coach pulled one of his young players aside and asked, “Do you understand what teamwork is all about?”  The little boy nodded yes.

The coach continued, “Do you understand that what really matters is not whether we win or lose, but that we play together as a team?”  Again, the boy nodded.

“Good,” the coach said. “And when a strike is called, or you’re thrown out at first base, you don’t argue, curse, attack the umpire with a bat, or throw dirt in the opposing team members’ faces. Do you understand all that?”

The boy nodded once more.  “Of course, coach. That’s what you taught us.” 

Satisfied, the coach said, “Good. Now please go over there and explain all that to your mother.”

Anyone who has attended a few Little League games knows why that line gets a laugh. We’ve all seen parents who lose perspective in the heat of competition. They yell at umpires, criticize coaches, and model behavior they would never want their children to imitate. In moments like those, the lesson being taught from the bleachers can be louder than anything taught on the field.

God has given parents an awesome responsibility. It’s not just the responsibility to tell our children what is right, but to show them what it looks like to live it out. Children are keen observers. They may forget our words, but they rarely forget our example. What we value, how we speak, and how we treat others all leave a lasting impression.

Moses understood this when he spoke to the parents of Israel. He told them to take God’s commands and “teach them diligently to your children” (Deut. 6:7 NIV). But before he ever talked about teaching, he said, “Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it” (Deut. 6:3 NIV). In other words, live it first.

Before we can teach our children to love God and love others, that love must be genuine in us.  Let obedience and love for God take root in your own heart before you try to pass it on. When our faith is visible in our lives, our children are far more open to listening to what we say.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live out the faith we desire to pass on.  May our example speak as clearly as our words. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day