In many Christian families, the responsibility of educating the children in the ways of the Lord has been handed over to others such as a Christian school or a Sunday school program. Seldom do you even find families worshipping together as a family at church or in their homes. On Sundays, children are herded off to their own version of church and segregation is developed in family worship that was never intended by God. Parents find it too much work to train little Johnny to sit quietly in a church service and many church services provide little participation for their smallest members. In addition, family devotions at home have gone out the window, as parents are too busy with the everyday activities of life.

Sunday schools were instituted in England in the 1800s to educate the children who worked six days of the week in factories. They provided a place where these children could learn to read and write as well as learn about God. These one-day schools were operated on Sunday and thus their name. Sunday schools were the forerunners of the modern day Christian school. They provided a needed service in a culture where children were not being educated in the basic skills to become productive members of a modern society.

Yet Scripture never talks of Sunday schools or Christian schools. This does not make them unbiblical for both are good and can provide reinforcement of Christian values to a family, but neither are they God’s way of passing on the faith to a new generation. The scriptural place of Christian education is in our homes and through our family generations.

Psalm 78:5-7 For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers, that they should teach them to their children, That the generation to come might know, {even} the children {yet} to be born, {that} they may arise and tell {them} to their children, That they should put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments, (NASB)

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 provides the basic instructions for passing the baton of faith on to the next generation:

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 upon your hearts (NIV).

Note that first of all, faith must reside in the parent! We are to love God with all our heart and with all our soul (mind, emotions and will) and with all our strength. If His love is not the motivating force in our lives then we have nothing of eternal value to pass on to our children and grandchildren!

In addition, as parents, we must know God’s Word (commandments) and be actively putting His Word into practice in our everyday lives. In this way, God’s Word becomes implanted in our hearts. I am constantly amazed at how many Christian parents seek an experience with God through the gifts of the Spirit, yet neglect to learn and practice the scriptural instructions for every day living and interpersonal relationships. Many of them do not even know the basic doctrines of the faith, which makes it very hard to pass such things on to their children! (Experiences with God are important, but become lopsided if not balanced by doctrine and living the scriptures out in the everyday activities of life!)

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 (Deut. 6:7 NIV).

Once we know God’s Word and ways of Kingdom relationships then we are to impress them upon our children. The way that we do this is by talking about His Word and ways. This talking involves some teaching, but it really implies more of naturally discussing how to practically walk out God’s ways in our everyday lives and relationships.

And this talking isn’t just a once a week activity, it is daily and all through the day: when we are just sitting around at home, when we are driving to the grocery store or football game, when we go to bed at night and when we get up in the morning!

For example, if a child is having anger problems with others, then the parent will instruct the child on what the scriptures say about anger and how to process it. The parent and child can then discuss how those scriptures can be practiced in the child’s situation. Later, the parent will check on the child to see if he is processing the situation in a biblical way or if he needs more help in this relationship problem. This all happens in the natural setting of cooking meals together, driving in the car together, talking together while hanging out at home or elsewhere.

You get the idea, impressing God’s Word and ways are intertwined with everything else we do during the day. Of course, if you never spend time with your children during the day then you may have to make major changes in both your lives! Parents who are “work-a-holics” or “ministry-a-holics” may have to re-examine their home life and put family as a priority as their first responsibility of work and ministry. Kids who are too busy in activities outside the home may have to learn that family life is important and the basis for all other healthy activities that happen outside of the family.

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates (Deut. 6:8, 9 NIV).

The Jewish people take this verse literally by placing small containers of Scriptures around their wrists and foreheads. New Testament believers often do the same thing with Christian jewelry. Symbolically they are reminding us to both think (the forehead) and act (the wrist) in ways that reflect God’s impact on our lives.

God’s Word and ways are even to be a part of our home decorating! Scripture can be written in the pavement, on your garden gate, over your doors. The Bible bookstores are full of decorative items to place around our houses to remind us of the Lord.

The one thing I remember about my grandmother Bessie’s house was the Christian pictures and plaques placed upon her walls. When she passed away, those were the items I requested from her estate. As a granddaughter, I was impressed with the message of Jesus communicated by these 1930’s decorations. They now hang on my walls as a generational testimony for my children and grandchildren.

Passing the baton of faith on to the generations must be done in grace as opposed to legalism and it must be done with consistency. The love of Jesus residing in our heart must continue to be the motivating factor for educating our children in the ways of the Lord. When God’s love and grace are left out of this process, then our children feel frustrated and often turn away from the faith. (A book I highly recommend on this subject is, Families Where Grace Is In Place, by Jeff Vanvonderen.)

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (NIV).

The baton of Christianity must be passed on to your children! This is your responsibility and you cannot do it after you are dead! It must be done now, while you have your children at home and while you are still able to communicate with your grandchildren!

Isaiah 38:18-19 For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness. (NIV)

Application questions:

What part do singles (unmarried, divorced, or widowed men and women) play in passing the baton of faith on to succeeding generations?

What are you currently doing to pass the baton of faith on to your children and/or grandchildren and/or nieces or nephews?

Discuss different things that you have found helpful in daily impressing God’s Word and ways on your children.

How do you know when you have successfully passed the baton of faith on to the next generation?

 

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© 2001 by Susan Gaddis