If you want your children to understand God’s ways – and then choose them for themselves – then you need to tell him what he has to say.

The Bible tells us:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work – 2 Tim 3: 16-17

And yet how often do we miss this resource in our parenting.  The Bible is there to give us words to tell our children.

• When we want to teach them a truth – the Bible has the words
• When we want to tell them off – the Bible has the words
• When we want to correct them – the Bible has the words
• When we want to train them – the Bible has the words

The thing is – do we know them?  Do we know the words of the Bible enough to use when we are instructing our children’s hearts?

If we don’’t, that is okay – God has us on a journey of learning his ways as much as our children are on the same journey.  We can learn together.  I have used different books at different times to help me connect the Word of God to my children’s training.

[Tweet “If you don’t know God’s word enough to talk about it with your children – go and learn it.”]

3 Resources to Help me Use the Word of God in my Instructions

Proverbs for Parenting:  This book has many Proverbs arranged in topical groupings that address heart issues – friendships, money, self control, truthfulness etc.  It is easy to look up in the index and see the issue you are facing and quickly find Scripture that will help you.

For Instruction in Righteousness:  Another topical listing of heart issues and what the Bible has to say about each one.  I like the way this lists what instruction the Bible gives about the issue, and then it gives examples (found in the Bible) of people who choose to follow the wisdom, or who chose to ignore it. I don’t always agree with the author’s personal application but it does make me think.

The Power for True Success: This book ties character traits with God’s word.  I have rarely used it as a complete Bible study for my kids – though that has worked with teens who are willing to do so – but rather as a way of topping up my thinking and understanding of the heart based responses I want my children to grow in.

My one caution about using these resources is – they are not the Bible.  As a parent go to these resources when you need help in knowing what the Bible has to say, but once you’ve found the scripture you want to use, go find it in the Bible and think and pray about it yourself.  Then take the Bible to your children to share from that.  Don”’t share these truths from these books; our children need to know that our words, our standard and expectations come from the Word of God.

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