How are we to Raise our Children?

When God established Israel as His chosen covenant community He gave rigorous prescriptions for the duty of parents.

"Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life.... You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." (Deut. 6:1-7).

The commandments, statutes, and judgments of the Lord are to be taught to all of the children, and the designated place for this instruction is chiefly that of the home. The command is clear: "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." The accent on this command is found in the word diligently.

I was guilty in my own role as a parent in fulfilling the biblical mandate to give vigorous instruction to my children and to serve in the capacity of family priest. When our children were little I depended for the most part on the programs of the church to fill these needs. Yes, I read them children’s Bible stories at bedtime and said their prayers with them. Since our home was used daily to feed students at the Ligonier Valley Study Center, the topic of conversations in our "Tabletalk" was theology. I assumed that my children would get it by osmosis. They lived daily in a Christian educational environment. But I am grateful to God that my children came to a robust faith despite my negligence in the full duties of parenthood. I am most thankful for their pastor who poured himself diligently into the catechetical instruction.

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