Somebody's Watching You

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.” ~CSB

My wife and I took a trip to the islands earlier this year. Our children asked us why they weren’t going with us. I told them, “There will be a time we will all vacation together. But I enjoy my time alone with my wife.” As this statement was directed to my children, I said my ‘wife’ and not your ‘mother’ because I wanted them to understand the intent of my message about the relationship I have with their mother. My children observe, watch and receive my relationship with my wife. They see how I treat her, how she treats me, and how important we are to each other. 

But please understand that we have raised our children to see much more than that. Our children see that it is because of our relationship with God, we are able to have a godly relationship with each other. Individually Yolanda and I have our very own strong, unique relationship with the Father. Because of this, we allow Him to lead us and show us the path we need to lead this family. Because we know how much the Lord loves us; and we know how to love the Lord; we then know how to love each other.

It is great for families to go to church together and sit in devotional meditation together. But the nourishment of godly ‘relationship exercise’ should also be fertilized with ‘godly lifestyle living’. This way our children see in us, God working, guiding, leading and healing us as well as them. And they will grow and take the same godly lifestyle with them. 

Tony Evans puts it beautifully when he says, “That purposeful approach to spiritual training, that effort to welcome the Lord to be part of all aspects of life, is how parents can transfer to their children a biblical worldview so that God is their point of reference as they navigate choices.”

Let the love of God in your heart show in you always. Let this love be the words that come out of your mouth and, “...repeat them to your children…” Have godly conversations in your home and when you travel. Go to bed with God in your heart and wake up in thanksgiving with Him on your mind! When you live in the name of Jesus, your children will receive the blessing of knowing not only who He is, but just how much God loves them. 

May God continue to bless and keep you under his guidance and protection in Jesus’ name.
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Amen

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