5 Ways to Teach our Children Godly Wisdom

1.       Actions: Actions speak louder than words. Our children will learn their morals, values and priorities through our actions. They watch, absorb, and copy everything we do.  Teach your child Godly wisdom by living for God every day through your actions and if they are old enough, explain the meaning behind your actions. Tip: Let them see your Love for God by singing worship songs together. “Mommy loves Jesus so I like to sing songs and listen to music about Him”. Bring your child along when you visit a sick friend or when you bring food to a new mom. Explain to them why you are doing it. If you need a place to start…Deuteronomy 6:5-9 is an important passage to memorize. It explains the importance of teaching our children about God everyday through daily activities, conversations, and tasks.

“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.  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.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:5-9). 

2.       Relationships: Relationships are at the heart of the home. Our children learn from us how to treat their siblings, parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors. Teaching our children to value relationships above everything else will help them live a successful, happy life.  This of course begins with teaching our children that their relationship with God is their number one priority. Then, we teach our children that we put the needs of others before our needs, that we respect each other, and that we love one another (Ephesians 6:1-3).  The first relationship that our children will know is their relationship with you.  Therefore, it is it important for us to show them Godly love and teach them about honoring their parents and practicing selfless love.  “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:16). We can do this daily while interacting with our spouse, siblings, friends, and even the dog!Tip: through out the day ask your child what they might like to do for their dad, sibling, or friend. Help them make a picture, clean out their car, or write down on a card how much they love that person.

3.       Speech: How and what you speak is of utmost importance to your child. The words that come out of our mouth show how we are really feeling, what we are really like, and ultimately the wisdom that we have gained. The more we know about God and the deeper that our trust and faith in Him are, the more we will speak with Godly wisdom. This will not happen overnight, but with consistency and dedication to reading God’s word it will happen. Speaking with Godly wisdom goes above and beyond refraining from using curse words, yelling, and saying hurtful things…it means talking and conversing in a way that is pleasing to God and which models a Godly person.  For more about speaking with Godly wisdom read Proverbs chapter 1-3. When we speak with Godly wisdom and talk about God with our children on a daily basis the wisdom and love of God will become a part of their lives as well.Tip: when you feel upset or stressed repeat out loud a Bible verse that you have memorized. Or, let you children hear you pray out loud asking God for patience and peace. 

4.       Work: Work is a necessary part of life. God calls us to work hard at everything that we do (Proverbs 10:4, Colossians 3:23). It is important to teach our children that we not only have to work in order to be able to make a living, but also because God called us to work for Him with purpose. It is important to teach our children that the money that we work hard to make is God’s money and not ours.  Therefore, we need to save and spend wisely, always giving a part of our earnings back to God. Tip: Make a lemonade stand, bake sale, or have your child do some age appropriate chores around the house that are above and beyond what his/her normal chores are.  Have your child put half of the money earned in the offering plate on Sunday and take the other half to the store to get a new book or small toy. 

5.       Bible: Read the Bible together every day. The Bible is our instruction manual for life and to know it is to know God. “The book of law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).  Tip: Start by leaving both your Bible and children’s Bibles out around the house. Have a designated time each day where you read the Bible together. This can be as simple as reading aloud one verse and talking about its meaning.  Reading the story of Noah’s ark to young toddlers and having them name the animals can also be a good starting point.  For older children, start with memorizing a verse or two in proverbs and talk about its meaning in your life.  This can be done at mealtime, bedtime, in the car, or in the middle of the afternoon before a football game. Pick a time that is good for your family.  Remember, all scripture was inspired by God and is applicable to every generation (2 Timothy 3:16). The more your child knows about the Bible, the more they will know about God and the better equipped they will be for life's challenges. Let’s help our children be wise, be God fearing, and be a shining light in the next generation.