I am extremely blessed with two sisters and my older one and I threw a Baby Shower for our younger one this last weekend. We wanted to make sure to do a little devotion, so I took it on. I love doing this type of thing, however, I learned something about me. I'm a cyber leader. A total cyber leader. I can write an email, a blog, a Facebook post that can be the upmost inspiring. Sit me in front of a group of people and I start to sweat, shake, and turn all red. But the Lord delivered me through. But I did want to share, in my comfort zone now, what God put on my heart to share with my sister as there aren't a ton of baby shower devotion ideas out there.
My inspiration... The Bible. I wanted to look right into the bible when doing a little devotion bc who better to look to than our ultimate Abba Father. And a passage God reminded me of was Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Backstory: A group of people, the Israelites, were slaves for the last 400 years and experienced their exodus from slavery and have been wandering in the desert for over 40 years with Moses. Moses has lead these common slaves in every way. The book of Deuteronomy is a great father Moses under the ultimate father God who gives a series of sermons to his people before he goes to be with the Lord and they take the promise land. It's his farewell, let me inspire you to live in his word and remind you of his commands and promises address.
And chapter 6:4-8 speaks to parenting.
"Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
My pastor shared this saying with us and it changed my parenting outlook. Love God most so you can love your children more. Moses shows us that here in verse 5 you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Later Paul adds in Romans... All your mind. So in essence, love him with all that you are, your heart and soul, love him in your strength, by serving others. Love him with your mind, by constantly growing deeper in your faith in knowledge. Let your child, children see this. Teach your child and be his or hers example in loving, serving and devotion. As you'll soon learn, they learn most by your example and do what you do and become mini-mes.
Then just a few months ago, our Pastor again enlighten us with but said more eloquently. God doesn't call us to launch our children to a successful career, or to a good school, or to be successful at life. He wants us to launch our children into eternity. That's all God cares about. Are you developing and teaching your children all there is to know and love about God.
Let's re-read verses 7-9.
"Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
The key to teaching our children to love God is stated quite simply. If we want them to follow God, we must make God an integral part of our everyday experience. Not just Sunday's, not just mealtimes. Every day all day. These verses state to tell them at home, on the road, upon waking, going to sleep. Let them see it in your home, on the door and on your gates. Let them hear it constantly, let them see it in you.
So if you can remember two things as you take on parenting remember this. Love God most, so you can love this child more. And look beyond our secular world and launch this child into a life that truly matters. A life of hope and peace. A life of Eternity.
(side note: we just went over this passage in church yesterday. How ironic! The Israelites physically put out visual reminders. They put actual signs on the doors and gates of their homes to remind them as they left the house to live for the Lord. Or when they return home to be the Godly father, husband. They put signs on their hands to remind them to serve for the Lord or to act as a check, would God like what I'm doing with my hands right now. How fascinating, right?)
you can read, watch more on that at my church website, www.fiveoakschurch.org