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Written by Mary Clark
Children have an amazing capacity to learn and remember all kinds of things. How can we—from the time they are babies—make sure the wonderful knowledge of God is always in their minds?
This year at our teen Winter Camp in Montello, Wisconsin, one of the activities was a version of the “Amazing Race.” The campers had to perform a series of activities in a race against time to see which team could be the fastest to complete all of the tasks.
For one task, we asked the campers to write down the names of all 66 books of the Bible. Almost every team was able to write them all down.
The humorous part was how often we heard a children’s choir song naming the books of the Bible being sung: “Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Num-bers ….” It has been quite a few years since most of these teens were in children’s choir, and yet they remembered all of the books.
Why did they have that knowledge there in their brains where they could access it? Because someone—most likely a parent—took the time to teach them the song way back when they were in children’s choir.
An amazing capacity
I have been amazed at the capacity of children to learn—and sometimes quite rapidly. One day my 4-year-old grandson came in and, just in passing, mentioned that he knew the colors of the rainbow. Sure enough, he named them off, in order, without missing any.
I was sitting there trying to keep up with him by going through that old memory trick ROY G BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). He can’t spell very much yet, so I knew he wasn’t using ROY G BIV. He learned the colors from a half-hour kids’ science program where it was mentioned briefly. Children have a God-given ability to learn a great deal from a very young age!
Being proactive parents
This shows us just how important it is to remember to teach our children about God and His plan even at a very young age.
We are admonished in Deuteronomy 11:18 and 19 (and Deuteronomy 6:6 and 7) to fix God’s words in our hearts and minds and to teach them to our children. This is not an instruction to let our children passively absorb what they can from a weekly church service and Sabbath school. This is an instruction to be proactive about:
1) Having God’s Word fixed in our hearts and minds.
2) Teaching God’s Word to our children.
There is no beginning or ending age given here. The admonition encompasses all of our children. If we start this from an early age, it will not be strange to them as they get older.
Into the minds of babes
How do you teach a baby about God? You teach your baby about God by living His way—by being a loving parent. You can read Bible stories to babies. You can sing hymns to them. You can talk of God and His creation as you “walk by the way.” Children can understand long before they can communicate.
All of these techniques apply as children grow older as well. As they begin to communicate, you can have actual conversations (on their level) about God, about stories from the Bible, about what God created and why. You can find children’s Bibles or Bible storybooks that you can use to read to your children each evening. I still remember my dad reading to us (and that was a very long time ago).
Music is a delightful memory aid, and biblical hymns can be powerful learning tools. One day, when my grandson was 2 or 3, he asked me to sing him the “fro” song. I was befuddled, and we played the guessing game until we figured out that the “fro” song was “Blest and Happy Is the Man” from Psalm 1 because it ends with the phrase “driven to and fro.” Hence, you have the “fro” song.
But, even then, he could sing almost all of the words. As he grows up, he will learn what the song means, but the words are there in his brain.
Game on
As your children grow older, you can add in playing Bible games with them. Many Bible games provide a fun way to spend family time and yet be focused on God’s Word. Some examples:
- Bible charades.
- Bible “Pictionary.”
- Twenty questions guessing games.
- Catch me if you can (one person starts reading a passage out of the Bible and everyone else tries to find where they are and “catch” them).
The positively essential parental example
One more thing—it is important for us to show our children that God’s Word and God’s way are positive, good and desirable. They are not dreary, stuffy or just something to be endured. Our attitude and approach to living this way will in large part color how our children approach it.
Do your children know you love God and that you love living His way, even when you sometimes face difficulties because you do? Or do they see you begrudgingly following an instruction God has given?
Do they see you living God’s way all of the time? Or do they see you become someone different when you go to church? Hopefully, they see us consistently and positively living God’s way.
We owe it to them
Our children are a tremendous blessing—a heritage from God. We need to make sure we honor God by teaching them about Him and helping to facilitate their budding relationship with Him. We owe it to our children and grandchildren, and we are duty-bound by our Father to do just that!
Mary Clark is a mother, grandmother and minister’s wife.
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