(The posts for the A to Z Blogging Challenge will focus on teaching
kids lessons from selected Bible verses. Adapt your teaching to the age of the
kids you’re talking with.)
Begin by asking your children what they need to “know” and
why. They will probably talk about what they need to know for tests at school,
or what they need to know to play a sport. They also need to know rules—at home,
at school, at church and when they go to visit friends. Next ask what they
think the most valuable knowledge they can have, is; what will help them most
throughout life, in whatever circumstances they face (whether or not to cheat
on a test or employment application; how to determine what to do after high
school, how to deal with relationship problems). Of course the most important
thing we need to know is how God expects us to live; He expects us to follow
His rules and to be an example of His love.
But can we live the life God wants us to live without knowing how He
wants us to live? No! And how do we determine how He wants us to live? This
verse gives us an answer:
“The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One
is insight.”
Prov. 9:10
In this verse, the word “fear” can be translated as “respect,”
so respecting God, and His word, is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of God
gives us insight as to what He expects and how He wants us to live. When we know
God’s “rules”—like the Ten Commandments—we know how we are to act and live.
Give several examples of how knowledge of God’s Word can
help them make decisions. What if kids in
your classroom are making fun of a child? Should you join in? Why or why not? God
tells us, “love your neighbor as yourself.” Is making fun of someone an example
of loving him? What does God expect us to do instead?
Ask older kids more difficult questions: What if a boyfriend or girlfriend is
pressuring you to have sex? Search for the answer in the Bible. What if friends
pressure you to approve of homosexuality, or drug use? As kids get older they’ll
face the conflict between what the world expects as opposed to what the Lord
expects. Again, knowledge of the Bible gives concrete answers.
There are no Bible verses that specifically address lying on
a job application or not filing a tax return, but with knowledge of the Bible,
it is clear that these are not things that God expects us to do. The Bible
doesn’t tell us which college to attend or which job offer to accept, but
again, by knowing the principles in God’s Word we can discern opportunities
that clearly do not conform to His will and we also know that we can pray and
ask Him to guide us.
How can we gain the knowledge He expects us to have? As
well as reading the Bible your children (and all of us!) can learn about Him at
church, Sunday school, and through prayer and listening to Him. As you, as a
parent, are your kids’ first teachers, make it a priority to teach them
knowledge of the Lord. Read the Bible to them; read it with older kids and discuss the meaning of what you’ve
read. Take them to church and Sunday School and discuss what the sermon was
about and what they learned. Demonstrate, in your life, seeking knowledge of
God and seeking His will when you are faced with decisions.
“The
wise lay up knowledge…”
Prov.
10:14
Be wise. Seek knowledge of the Lord, and help and encourage
your children to do the same.
Lord, knowledge of
you is the most important knowledge we can have. Please help me to see Your
knowledge, and help me to help my kids gain it too. Amen.
(For
more discussion of “knowledge”, look up and discuss the following verses: Psalm
139:6, Proverbs 1:7, 9:10, 10:14, 13:16, 15:14, 17:27; Isaiah 11:2, 11:9,
Habakkuk 2:14, Luke 11:52, 1 Corinthians 8:11, 2 Peter 2:20)
I’m also
blogging this month at Nebraska Family Times.
Today’s post is also about knowledge, targeted towards encouraging adults to
gain knowledge about God.
Shelly Burke is
the author of the book “Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to
Caring for Herself, Her Family and Her Home.” To see the table of contents
click on the tab at the top of this page. To order, see the right sidebar.
Shelly is also the publisher of a Christian monthly newspaper, the Nebraska
Family Times. Click on www.nebraskafamilytimes.blogspot.com for more
information.
