Tell Your Children of God’s Mighty Acts
Parenting is hard. As parents, we fight constantly to restrain the natural sinful tendencies of our kids’s hearts by teaching them God’s commands: self-control, respect for authority, love for God, and love for others. We also teach them that they are inherently sinful and are in need of God’s saving grace through Christ. We are not perfect, merely forgiven, and living daily by God’s grace. Our kids, like us, are born into sin. They will naturally do what is wrong. That is why the Scriptures are important in their lives. It is through hearing the word of God that faith comes (Rom 10:17). We must constantly remind our children of the character and mighty works of God.
Psalm 78 is a great example. The psalmist calls all to tell the next generation of the works of God, to the praise of His name (78:1-4). Our goal, like the goal of the psalmist, is a future generation living by faith in Christ and obeying God’s commandments (78:5-8). The danger for all young children is a unrestrained, disobedient, and stubborn heart that refuses to submit to authority. Without restraint, children will go their own way and learn to follow after the desires of their hearts above all else (78:18-30; Prov 22:6). A heart full pride, ingratitude, and self- indulgence is a heart demonstrating unbelief (78:9-39).
The Scriptures tell us that it is our responsibility to teach our children about the mighty works of God in the past and how they show God’s nature to save (78:42). God has not changed (Heb 13:8). Salvation comes by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice on a cross (John 3:14-16). They must come to God in faith, believing and trusting in Him for salvation, just as we did (78:22).