What a Dad Does!
"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons 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 up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NASB
If there ever were a keystone to God’s expectations for a dad…this is it!
Ask yourself, “when is the last time I spent quality time in the Word”....when I really got something out of it? Are God’s Words always on my mind? Do I know the meaning of meditation (Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1)? Is my mind being transformed by the Word of God (Romans 12:1-2) or am I being conformed to the pattern of thinking of this world’s system? If I’m going to be able to do what this passage COMMANDS a dad to do then I have to be transformed by the Word myself.
When is the last time I taught my sons (and daughters) the Scripture and not left that responsibility to their mother or one of teachers at church? Does this passage really mean teach them the Word all day long every day? Does teaching the Word mean having Bible studies 16 hours per day? Have I ever considered how to creatively keep the Word in front of my children every minute of the day?
How can I put the Scripture on my hand, my forehead, my door posts and my gates? God, give me creativity. Check out these websites: www.familymanweb.com & http://www.coachingdads.com/
What implications does this have toward homeschooling? This passage is really the reason that we began home educating our children 30 years ago….not because we thought we could do a better job than the state but because I wanted to obey this passage.
Make a list today of all the ways to teach your children the Word of God and then turn off the TV, put away your golf clubs and start now!
THIS IS WHAT A FAITHFUL DAD DOES!
I'm sure most people are a little reluctant to comment on this because it hits a soft spot for so many. We can see in our culture today how easy it is to get caught up in the ways of the world. There are so many distractions to keep us from the Word. It's not that we can't/shouldn't be salt or light and be involved. We are commanded to be! But the commandments, like the verse says, must be totally integrated into our lives. Then it's not so much about "Doing" as it is about "Living" to share the Gospel of Christ.
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