Deuteronomy 6 is so practical when it comes to parenting. It reminds us that making impressions on our children is a long journey of many faithful steps. At most, we remember back to 2 generations (our grandparents). The impact of their decisions are ones we witness or hear stories about: Grandma’s determination to sew all the clothes for her children, Grandpa’s ability to fix everything. Each generation impresses upon the next: Mom’s faithful prayers written in her journal, Dad’s lively story-telling. What are the impressions we leave on our children? What will the ripple effect be on our grandchildren? The biggest part of parenting is WHO YOU ARE – not something you DO to a child. Kids eventually see through all our our parenting tricks. The wide-eyed toddlers become questioning teens. If we want our children’s hearts to remain close, who parents say we are, needs to line up with who we parents want to be. Are you secure enough to be open, vulnerable, and forgiving while being a parental authority?
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 [NIV]
Love the Lord your God with all your heart. We need to get this in OUR hearts first before we can model this for our children.
Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Our parenting ministry begins when we wake up, continues through the day, and closes at bedtime. And repeat . . . for 18 years. Of course there will be mistakes, both ours and theirs. However, the beauty of those mistakes is that we can replace guilt for growth.
The best impressions are made when clay is soft, so take advantage of those early developmental years. As parents, if we continue to take a learning and growing attitude towards understanding our children, their hearts will continue to be soft to words of correction and affirmation.